Ties that Bind
by touchnotthecat
Summary: Three girls, three different lives, three different choices. Madeline, Miriam and Molly are best friends, and they are excited to spend one last summer together with Molly's family. But this summer will be the craziest and most challenging of all their lives. It will test the bonds of friendship and family. Please R&R.
1. Preface

_Preface_

 _MADELINE_

My name is Madeline Evangeline Clyde-Jones and I am eighteen. I don't have any siblings, my dad used to say why try to improve upon perfection? My dad, he's Christopher "The Club" Clyde-Jones and is one of the most infamous gangsters to ever own London, and let me tell you, he did own this dinky town, but now he's serving a life sentence in Wakefield, a maximum security prison in Yorkshire. My mum was a slag who abandoned me and my dad when I was three. French bitch. My best friends in the entire world are Molly, the awkward smart one, and Miriam, the d.u.f.f.….Oh god, don't tell Molly I said that, or Miriam for that matter. Then, why would you tell her I said that? Now _that_ would be cruel. Besides, I didn't really mean it. Anyway, alone we are nothing but together we are the _Mmm's_. Ya know; like when you see a super hot bloke walking down the street and you are like _Mmm mmm mmm_ , well that's what people do but _at_ us.

My name is Maddy, my life has been hard. I'm a fighter.

 _MIRIAM_

My name is Miriam Gwyneth Dursley and I am eighteen years old. I have a younger brother named DJ, short for Dudley Junior. He is fifteen and a holy terror. My father is Dudley Dursley, Sr. He is the Department Head of Intercontinental Company Acquisitions and Trades, European Division of Grunnings. I have no idea what he does for a living. My mother is named Sophie, and she a home maker, we don't talk much, not about anything important. My best friends in the entire world are Molly, she's the bright one, the beautiful one, the kind one, and Madeline, the fiery one, the passionate one, the one to never give up. Together we are the _Mmm's_. No quite sure why really... Oh well.

My name is Mimi, my life has been happy. I am totally average.

 _MOLLY_

My name is Molly Elizabeth Weasley the Second and I am eighteen. I have a younger sister named Lucy, who I love (in spite of myself sometimes), she is thirteen years old and will make me look like the hideous old maid of the family, with her curly light brown hair that never frizzes and big green eyes that most of my family have, nope I just got the red hair, it's the only way you might guess I am actually _part_ of the family. My father is Percy Weasley and he is the Head of the Department of Magical Transportation at the Ministry of Magic, my sister and I are very proud of him. My mother is named Audrey, she is patient and graceful and beautiful; she is everything I wish I could be. My best friends in the entire world are Madeline, the rebellious one, and Miriam, the sweet one, I guess I am the smart one? Together we are the _Mmm's_. I know its kind of pathetic but whatever, we have fun. And besides it's nice to not feel so alone all the time.

My name is Molly, my life has been complicated. I am a squib.


	2. I'm Molly

_A:N:_ Hi all and welcome! I hope you enjoy this fic, Ties that Bind. It is my take on a next generation fic, and I hope you all like it. Please, I thrive with feedback so let me have it! Hope you enjoy, - Cat

 _Disclaimer:_ I sadly do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters associated with the novels.

 _Chapter One: I'm Molly_

 _MOLLY_

No one thinks they are going to be the great disappointment of their family. Although, I dunno, maybe some people do. I mean, some of my cousins, what they get up to at school, how could not know they will be disappointing their parents? But then, I guess a few acts of recklessness or rebellion aren't the same as being a fundamental let down from birth…. basically.

My father, bless his heart, never doubted me growing up. He always believed that eventually I would show some magical inclinations but they never came. When the rest of my cousins were flying around on toy brooms or suddenly outside after being sequestered to their rooms or their clothes changed to colours they liked, I was just me. Just Molly. It didn't matter what happened, nothing magical would ever happen to me.

It was when I was eight, my parents became concerned. We were on a family trip to Cardiff. A _whole_ family trip (that figured), anyway we were all playing on the bluffs when James pushed me, I slipped over the bluff and fell ten feet, I was winded and very lucky I guess, I only broke one leg. The first red flag was that I actually fell and got hurt, I didn't bounce or land on my feet, or create a gust of wind to bring me back or whatever a witch would have done.

I remember the look on my parents faces when they apparated down to me with a few of my other aunts and uncles. I can remember my father looking at James and just repeating unbelievingly, "And she just fell, just like that?" And my cousin's uncomfortable answer of ' _yes'_. My mother looking at my father as she held me, I had squirmed around just in time to see the look of...fear in her eyes. That's what it had been, _fear_. Can you imagine what that was like? The year before when Dominique, one of my other cousins, had fallen out of the tree fort at my grandparents house, she had ended up bouncing like she was on a trampoline; no, I get to have my leg pointing in the wrong direction.

The other red flag was when we got to St. Mungo's and they gave me Skeliheal, first it had been a battle to get me to drink it, but once I did after about five minutes I vomited it back up again. Now let me tell you, no matter how disgusting a medicinal potion is, a witch or wizard wouldn't throw it up...No matter what, I checked.

When the healers came to my parents and told them they were stumped and that maybe we should try a muggle hospital I thought my dad was going to have some sort of fit. I don't think I have ever seen him so mad. But for lack of anything else to do, and me screaming my head off, we did. And they were very nice to me. I remember how scared my mother was. She was almost shaking harder than I was.

It was then they decided to start investigating into me, my lack of obvious magic. Finding out if you are a squib is quite a routine. Not as easy as one might expect. You have to go St. Mungo's and get examined by a number of healers. You get a lot of questions about yourself, you personality, your dreams, they run a number of test which was odd, a lot to do with spells being cast at me, nothing dangerous but more boring then anything else.

One of the last steps is checking the registry at Hogwarts. When a magical child is born their name is magically recorded on a scroll within Hogwarts to hold their place, it applies to the entire British Isles. When they looked up the year of my birth there was only one Weasley recorded, my cousin Louis.

I remember crying a lot. I remember my mother crying a lot, she tried to hide it but just because I wasn't magical didn't mean I was oblivious too. My little sister treated me like a stranger, I mean sure she was only four and didn't really know what was happening but it still hurt. Father, he was my rock. He was one of the few who didn't treat me like I had some horrible contagious illness. He convinced me that my life wasn't over and he would be damned if I started acting like it. That muggles led completely satisfying lives just as much as witches and wizards. That, even though I was different, I was still and always would be his daughter and he was proud of me, no matter what.

Well, I can't imagine how hard it was for them. My parents that is. It must be quite surreal to know your child will never have the life you planned for them. In fact, now their life would be completely different from everything you could possibly know. And I guess that is were I am extremely lucky. To be born to my father. And not say one of my uncles... You see, my father, bless him, he is about as close to being a muggle as wizards can get. My mum is not too far of the mark either. They both took Muggles Studies at Hogwarts their entire school careers and with my father's job at the Ministry he has had a lot of exposure mingling and interacting with muggles, more than my grandparents that's for sure. So that means when it came to finding me a school, interviews with Headmistresses and such were not so intimidating... Wait, did I say intimidating? I meant terrifying.

It was my father who found St. Margaret's School for Gifted Young Ladies. It is this top boarding school in Dorset. Amazing curriculum, top staff, and amazing extracurricular programs as well as many connections to Cambridge. Which is my dream university now; I loved it at St. Marge's (that's what us girls call it).

That is where I met Mimi and Maddy. They gave me something I can never pay back, they gave my life meaning. I know that may sounds a bit rich from a girl of all of eighteen years old but it's true. I don't know what I would do without them.

We all graduated last year and now we are starting our last summer. The last summer before our lives all start and even with everything I have gone through I am not as scared of the prospect, I know I have Mimi and Maddy in my corner.


	3. Bring on the Summer

_Chapter Two: Bring on the Summer_

 _MOLLY_

Because of my friends Miriam and Madeline, I was able to not hurl myself in front of a speeding bus when my father announced that this summer we would be travelling to my grandparents house for a family reunion.

Don't get me wrong, I love my family. I really really do, but they can be ….a lot. With five uncles, four aunts and ten cousins… all of whom are extremely magical, lets just say spending time with all of them at once makes me feel absolutely…. I don't even know how to properly explain it. My aunts and uncles mainly make me feel like a charity case. Someone who is sick and needs to be given extra attention even when half the time I know they would rather talk about James and Fred's latest quiddtich game at Hogwarts, or the fact that Albus and Rose both made prefect this year or how my insufferable cousin Louis aced his entrance exams to St. Mungo's last year. My aunt Hermoine is the only one who is somewhat in a place of understanding being born in a muggle family, but it really isn't the same and besides, my father and my uncle Ron have the worst relationship in the world, so muggle shopping trips with auntie is out of the question.

My cousins are alright I guess, I didn't grow up super close with any of them because we never ended up going to school together. I guess in most families cousins go to different schools and are still close but not my family. Nope they all went to Hogwarts, even if Victorie did a year abroad at Beauxbaton. They all have their automatic little clubs of the school houses. Everyone already knows what happened to everyone else last year so you try telling your _ten_ cousins about your year at an all girls boarding school, when the most exciting thing that happened at their school was when the magical hall was flooded by water sprites or learning to ride hippogriffs or I don't know the house elves making the best puddings in the world every night. Nothing our ladies in the kitchens can do could compare to house elves, trust me. It doesn't help that they seem to regard muggles as a sort of slightly less bright bunch who can't possibly be as cool or smart or clever as they are.

So when father announced to Lucy and I on the first day of summer holidays that we were headed to the Burrow in two days. I thought I would take a chance.

"Father, mother," My dad didn't look up from his morning stack of memo's that arrived every morning from the ministry but my mother looked up from putting a bowl of porridge in front of him. My little sister Lucy glared across the table at me suspicious, she knew I was using my _I-want-something_ voice, and like always if I got something she wanted it too. No matter, she already had what I would always want. "I was wondering. Possibly, if I could bring my pals with me this summer? Keep me company."

My father looked up from his memos and stared at me through his horn rimmed glasses identical to the pair I was wearing. My mother glanced at him, before responding, "You mean Madeline and Miriam? To the Burrow?"

I glanced at her and shrugged, "Yes,"

My fathers brow furrowed, "I don't think this would be a good-"

"Oh come on dad, _please_ , I am sure they won't be a lot of trouble and we can stay in our own tent and …. _please_."

"Now Molly, you must realize what you are asking," My father said, his eyes already looking sad. It was look he had in his eyes when he had to say no to me even when he felt bad about it, like how when I was younger and wanted to get a wand too.

"I do dad, I do. I will explain everything to them before we arrive, explain the risks and assure them they are safe and you know if it turns into a disaster you could just obliviate them and say I took them on a walking tour of the lake district." Lucy was watching the interaction like a tennis match. "Please, Dad, this could be our last summer together, what with me heading of to uni next year, and I know Maddy will be accepted to one of her northern schools and who knows where Mimi will end up. Please dad, this could be the last real time I get to spend time with them," That was a lie. Mimi and Maddy will be my friends till death do us part, but that won't help my argument.

My father sighed and went to talk but my mother interrupted him, "Girls, clear the table while your father and I discuss this."

I stood up feeling resigned to an absolutely abysmal summer and followed my little sister out of our dinning room. Lucy nudged me in the ribs and ran upstairs. I followed her. It was crazy to see her getting so grown up. She had just finished her fourth year at Hogwarts and was turning into a real lady.

"Come to my room, we can use one of my extendable ears to hear what they were saying."

"You know I can't use them," I say exasperated.

"Well, I can tell you what they are saying," We walk into her bedroom which has been turned into a holy memorial to Ravenclaw house. My sisters enthusiasm for her house and higher learning almost rivalled my fathers. I mean yes, I was top of my class but I dunno, I try to keep it a little bit lower key on the higher knowledge claims.

Lucy grabbed one of the ear things out of her drawer and lifted a heating vent that was on the floor by her bed. She dropped it down and flopped on her mattress to listen. I threw myself on the matter beside her and watched for her to catch what was being said.

I glanced at her. Her shocking green eyes stood out in her chestnut bob that hung only to her jawline. She had my mothers soft features rather than mine and my fathers sharp ones, a soft turned up nose rather than a pointy long one. It was odd she was doing this for me, usually we were very competitive with each other.

"Thanks," I said, feeling a swell of sisterly love.

"Not a problem, I figure if they let you bring two muggles to the Burrow I can cash in big with a request I have been saving up."

"Oh," I said feeling a little foolish.

"Plus," She added in an off the cuff voice, "You should get to have your friends with you this summer." Before I could even think about how nice she was being she shushed me even though I wasn't making any noise and started to parrot my parents. "Come on Percy, It's the least we can do for her, … It isn't that simply Audrey, do you know the clearances I would need from the ministry…Like you don't have a broom closet full of unreturned favours, dear…well, I suppose…..and it is clear she has thought it through…..I am good at memory charms if it comes to it…."

Lucy looked up at me, her bright eyes looking at me with shock on her features, "Looks like you are getting your wish!"

We both looked up as my mother poked her head through my sisters bedroom door and she smiled at us and pretended she hadn't noticed Lucy stuffing the extendable ear under her pillow. My father hated any of the Weasley Wizard Wheezes. "Your father is going to talk to your grandparents but we see no reason why you shouldn't be able to invite your friends."

I literally leapt off the bed, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I squealed wrapping my mum up in a vice like grip.

"Well, don't thank me yet, we have to wait for your grandparents to agree." She said trying to sound prudent after the fact.

Lucy scoffed, "Like Nan could ever say no to Molly, her namesake." I have to admit, even with her snotty tone my sister was right. I would finally get to have my friends and not face my family completely alone. Thank god.


	4. I'm Madeline

_Chapter Three: I'm Madeline_

 _MADELINE_

When Molly rang me up and told me that I was invited to come with her to the country to stay at her grandparents house all summer during a massive family reunion, I may have been playing it cool on the phone but really I was thrilled. It sounded brilliant!

We were going to be camping in their backyard, have bonfires and I was sure some shenanigans would take place. It would definitely beat staying at my place all summer with only my aunt to keep me company.

Frannie wasn't even actually my aunt, she was my dad's mother's best friend. She had raised me since my dad went inside, and had even helped before that. My dad's mum had been one for the smack and not much of a mother. Frannie, who couldn't have children, had been my grandmother's next door neighbour and best friend. She looked after my dad more than his own mother, only fitting she should be the one to look after me. Anyway, poor old girl was getting up there and the last thing she wanted to do all summer was have me moping around underfoot. So she had no problem seeing me off for two months.

Frannie loved Molly's parents anyway. They had met a few years back at an open house event for parents and family St. Marge's offered once a year. I think Percy and Audrey Weasley were everything she had wished my dad could have been. Business man, with some moderate level position in the government, three piece tweed suit, soft spoken Audrey Hepburn looking wife. Frankly, never mind Frannie, I was dead jealous of Molly's family. To get to spend the summer being fawned over by her grandparents in some country getaway seemed pretty bloody fantastic to me.

I pulled up to the curb of the Weasley's West End London town house in my dad's prized 1969 Ford Mustang. There were three things in the world my dad truly cared about, me, Frannie and this car. He transferred it to my name when he went inside even though I was only 13 at the time. I love this car. It makes me feel close to my dad. I spent most of the past two days driving out to Wakefield to see him before I headed out to the country for the whole summer. I'm not gonna tell Molly or Mimi this, I don't really talk to them about my father except for occasionally with really innocent stories.

It's not that I am ashamed of my dad, it's just… hard to explain. How can you tell someone that the club wielding, racketeering, black mailing, murderous gangster, is really a sweet guy? The guy who taught you how to ride a bike, to walk even, who bought me a night light when the dark was too much and always promised to be there for me? How do you reconcile a man like that with the fellow they see on the evening news being carted in and out of courtrooms in full body shackles every time he has an appeal? People who have only ever been on one side of the law only understand one side.

I honk my horn and here she comes. Molly prancing down the steps of their house, suitcase in hand. Geez, we are staying in a tent, I just stuffed all my things into my rucksack and chucked it in the back, Molly is taking a suitcase? God, she can be proper, it's bloody hilarious. She chucks the big suitcase in the trunk and then slides into the passenger seat beside me.

"Morning sunshine," I say brightly putting my baby into gear and pulling out, "how was your morning?"

"Morning!" Molly seems positively giddy, but there is a nervous energy about her as well. Like the day we had to sit our final exams last year and she ended up drinking four cups of coffee in two hours. Let me tell you, the girl is not a coffee drinker. "Oh you know, completely orderly in the Weasley residence. My dad had everyone up and ready to go by six." I cringe at the unholy hour and glance at the dashboard clock reading 11:30. "Lucy was dead jealous of me as I waved goodbye in my pyjamas."

"I'm sure. Hey, have you heard from any schools yet?"

"As a matter of fact, yes!" I looked at her through the sunglasses I am wearing, old aviators I found in the glove box of this car when I first got it. "Cambridge, I got in!" She squeals.

"Fucking A Molly!"I reach over the bench seat a pull her into a half hug, she laughs as she drapes an arm around my neck too.

"I can't believe it, I never thought I would get in." I let go of one of my best friends and look at her out of the corner of my eye, a taunting smile on my lips.

"Pfftt yeah, why would they want you, aside from your perfect grade point average, you list of extra curriculars that may as well include reading to the deaf-blind-starving-diseased-refugees, plus a father with a mid-level government job, you were a sure thing!" Molly blushes deeply.

"Well, anyway, the letter came after dad and mum left so I can't wait to tell them. How about you? Any news?"

I glance at her. I actually had already heard from most of the schools I applied for. I am not sure why I hadn't told Molly or Mimi yet. Maybe I was just putting it off, I dunno. I definitely am not feeling ready for life at St. Marge's to be over.

"Um yeah, I heard from a few,"

Molly's eyes bulge, "And….?!"

"I got in!"

"In where?"

"Everywhere."

"Edinburgh?" Molly knew that Edinburgh was the only place I really wanted to go, one of my dad's old mates from back in the day (reformed obviously) was now teaching there in the criminology department.

"Yup," I respond unable to keep the smile from my face now.

"What!? Maddy that's amazing! Oh my god why didn't you say anything?"

I shrug, "I dunno, between you and I?" Molly nods her consent to the secrecy, so I continue, "Mimi keeps saying things like it will be so great, if we take our gap year together and go travel a bit, she wants to go to Spain with me in September and I don't know what to tell her."

"Are you joking? You didn't tell her you applied to schools," Molly went slightly cross eyed and I could tell she was replaying last school term in her head trying to remember ever talking to me about uni in front of Mimi, that is her ' _I am reflecting'_ face. Damn I know her too well.

"Only vaguely, being sure to stress my doubtful acceptance."

Molly sat back and looked out the window, "She didn't ask me if I wanted to go to Spain with her."

I can't help but roll my eyes. Molly has this rather irritating quality of always feeling slightly left out, or the one on the fringe. Like she is always terrified of waking up and Mimi and I just being like, nope, not your friends any more mate, shove off, go on lose our numbers. She is terribly insecure. I don't get it. I mean ok, Mimi's insecurities I understand, but Molly? I shake my head, "I'm not getting into this with you at the beginning of what it supposed to be our epic summer."

"Get into what with me?" She challenged innocently.

"' _She didn't ask me to Spain'_ " I mimic her in an incredibly shrill voice that doesn't match her at all. "Miriam only didn't ask you because we both knew you would be accepted into Cambridge and knew you would not blow off your first year traveling with her. We are not playing the Molly is an outsider game this summer. You're my best friend damn it, and you are leading me and Mimi into the den of all your terrifying cousins. We need you to be with us 100%."

Molly smiled in a smarmy self satisfied way, like a cat who got into the cream, "Awww, Maddy, I-"

"Oh stuff it, let's not get all sappy shall we?" I turn onto the road that will lead us out of the city into the suburbia hell in which Mimi lives. "So," I say trying to break the emotional tension that has filled the mustang, "is Teddy gonna be there?"

Molly instantly goes a brilliant shade of red. Teddy was this fellow that one of her uncles was a godfather too when his parents popped their clogs when he was still a baby her uncle and aunt raised him, pretty much as their own. Molly always spoke in the vaguest of terms when it came to her family but it never bothered me much, as I had no interest in going over the nitty gritty of my family either. Anyway, Molly has always had a crush on Teddy, _always._ And I dunno, I am feeling mischievous, maybe this could be her year? I did say I wanted it to be epic...

"Yes, but it won't matter, he is with Victorie. He probably barely remembers I am alive, I haven't seen him in about three years."

I scoff, "No way any bloke doesn't know your alive."

"What?" She stared at me through her horn rimmed glasses which had gone dark to sunglasses in the bright morning sunshine. It was going to be a beautiful day.

"Doi, your beautiful, funny in a non-offensive way….Stacked."

"Stacked?" She asked. Sometimes I think Molly has come out from under a rock.

"You know, stacked." I pretend to grope the air in front of my non-existent chest and she blushes, "Yeah, _stacked_ , no way Teddy hasn't noticed you. And even if he didn't before, he will now. I have helped prune you into the man slayer you are now."

She rolls her eyes, "He won't notice me when he has the likes of Victorie on his arm. You have no idea about my cousin. She is the kind of beautiful that actually hurts your eyes to look at. She is perfect literally, and all men fall under her spell." Molly shook her head looking forlorn.

"Victorie? Victorie! What kind of a stupid pretentious name is that?"

"Her mother's french, it's symbolic to- ... what my family had gone through when she was born."

"Well, if her mother is french, and she is half french, that is all I need to know. Want me to beat her up for you?" I ask only halfway joking.

Molly laughed, finally looking a bit more relaxed, I wonder why she is so pent up? Meh, maybe Aunt flo is visiting. "No thanks, but I'll keep it in mind."

"So does your family do a reunion every year?" I ask as we pull into the neighbourhood Mimi lives in with her folks.

"No, we used to when all the cousins were little, go to my grandparents and camp out all of us all summer, but we haven't done it in about six years... My uncle Charlie and Teddy have been away for the past year for work, so with them coming home my grandmother thought it would be a good excuse to get us all together, especially since, this year James, Fred and I have all just graduated, and next year will be Rose and Albus's last year of school who knows how long we will all even be in the same country."

"Huh," I am blown away by the sheer enormity of Molly's family and suddenly feel rather nervous about spending all summer with a bunch of people who have known each other since birth, who I don't know from a whole in the ground. "You realise you have to help with the names right?"

"Oh I will, I can draw you a map of my family tree if that helps," She chuckled but I am still not 100% sure she is just joking.

"We will figure it out," I say in an off the cuff kind of way and glance back at Molly who is looking down the street as we pull on to Mimi's road, for some reason I get the impression that Molly is almost as nervous about seeing her family as I am at the prospect of meeting them all. "Look, who knows, maybe after a year away you'll knock Teddy's socks off and he will throw old Victorie over faster than you can say hot orphan boy."

Molly snorted trying to stifle a laugh. "Oh my god, you are terrible. And trust me, he won't, when you meet Victorie you will understand." We pulled in to Mimi's driveway and I honked the horn.

"Then's he's an idiot." I say in what I hope is a reassuring friendly way.

Molly smiled at me, "I'll survive."


	5. I'm Miriam

_Chapter Four: I'm Miriam_

 _MIRIAM_

My life has been totally normal, and totally boring. I mean it has been lovely and I don't take anything for granted but... You know, you kind of expect more from life. My father says I read to many fluff novels about damsels in distress and so forth; "Just like her mother this one, head up in the clouds" he'd say. But other than time with my family why wouldn't I rather be in the clouds? That is until I got to St. Margret's!

Wait, wait... I am getting a head of my self. Ok let's start with a bit about me how about?

I am average. At best, not like Molly or Madeline. By the way, please don't tell they I am saying this, or else I would get the whole, you are just like us speech and it is flattering and sometimes I love it when they say things like that, it means they really care right? But sometimes it feels like just a knee jerk reaction from them. And sometimes I am not in the mood to be comforted or cajoled by them. Because really I am not like them. I can't fit into size two clothes never have been able too. Sure I lost about fifty pound last summer with thanks to Molly and Maddie's help but I am still definitely pear shaped, its part of being a Dursley. Anyway, like I was saying I am average. I struggle in school,I am horrifically shy. Boring.

Then there are my two best friends...

So, first off there is Molly. She is unbelievable, really she is, like the PERFECT girl. She had this amazing flaming red head of hair that is the perfect amount of wavy and never frizzy. She puts it up in a bun without thinking sometimes and still looks like a supermodel. Anyway, she is tall and slim but still has this rocking hourglass figure and bright brown eyes. She has to wear glasses but she found this wicked vintage pair of her dad's old horn rimmed glasses and wears them and looks like this amazing retro chick from like forever ago. It's unbelievable. Oh and she is also wicked smart. If it wasn't for her I would have singlehandedly flunked out of about three courses (don't tell my parents). And she is super nice. Like really a genuinely good human being. The kind of person who asks you how you are doing and suddenly you find yourself gushing your inner most secrets and worries to her just because you feel like she genuinely cares and is interested in your answer.

Then there is Madeline. Madeline is very different from Molly, she has dark, dark brown hair that is poker straight and goes beautifully with her rich caramel skin tone and enormous hazel eyes that are totally, like, haunting. Now she is skinny. Sometimes I wonder if Maddy has to run around in the shower to get wet. She always jokes she wishes she had our boobs because she is so flat but I would happily give her my C-cups for her A's if I got her size four frame rather than my 12. She is a bit rough around the edges, But how can you not expect that, what with her family history and everything. She struggles a bit in school, but that is mainly because as she puts it, she ' _can't stand curtailing her natural behaviour because of an authority figure such as the school system.'_

How Molly and Madeline are my best friends I will never fully understand. I mean they could rule our school, have any boy they wanted, whenever they wanted. But somehow they seem happy being outcasts with the likes of me. I guess I understand about Madeline, what with her dad being in prison and not being very...well, nice. But don't get me wrong, when Maddy is your friend you know, she has your back 110%. Like one time in the dining hall this girl two years ahead of us called me fat and Maddy literally launched herself over the table at her and beat the living pulp out of her...ok thats a bit of an exaggeration but she did smash an entire portion of mushy peas into the girls brand new perm. It was pretty hilarious.

But Molly, I have no idea why she doesn't rule the school but she likes to keep to herself. I mean she is a hoot with us and super out going, but other than that she is pretty quiet. My dad always wonders why I don't rule the school. Ugh he has no idea, that I am possibly the most unpopular girl in school...aside from Gertrude in our year, but she picks her nose and has BO so it isn't much of an accomplishment knowing I am more popular than her.

For my dad popularity is very important. He was the most popular boy in school when he went and doesn't understand why his little girl isn't following in his footsteps, so during break when I am home and I am not going out with friends every weekend or having a whole herd of girls over everyday he always asks if everything is alright, if everything is going well. It's positively painful.

So when Molly phoned and asked if I would like to keep her company at her grandparents this summer while they had a family reunion camping out, it was no question. My father had no problem with it, he met Molly's dad once at a school parents night and liked him right off, said "Now, that is a nice old fashioned straight laced fellow, don't make them like that any more." It was hilarious as my dad showed up in his favourite football teams jersey and a track suit, I am pretty sure Molly's father was thinking dad was some kind of riffraff himself.

So now I am waiting for Molly and Madeline to pick me up. I can't wait, to get to spend the entire summer with them, especially before we all go off to university. It will be fantastic.


	6. The Truth

_Chapter Five: The Truth_

 _MOLLY_

Maddy's vintage mustang purred it's way out of the suburb where we picked up Mimi and I knew I had at least an hour until we pulled into my grandparents driveway and that suddenly seemed like the equivalent of five minutes to explain what I had to explain.

That had been one of the conditions of me bringing my friends along. I had to explain to them about the family and magic before we got to my grandparents, that way if either of them totally freaked out I would tell my dad right away, he would obliviate them and we would send them home thinking we had gone on a walking tour of the lake district and I would have to face a whole summer with my cousins...alone. I could _not_ let that happen.

I turned in the front passengers seat so I was looking at Madeline and I could see Miriam in the back sitting behind Maddy's seat.

"Ok girls, I need to tell you something," I start, how are you supposed to just tell someone this? The ministry should print pamphlets, _How to Tell a Muggle About Magic, Easy Steps to Skip Insanity_.

"Mmm, what? One of your cousin into bestiality?" Maddy said casually smiling at me from behind her aviator sunglasses.

"Oh oh oh, is your grandmother really inappropriate when it comes to personal space? Mine is," Mimi shuddered in the back seat.

"Well a little," Both of them looked at me with their mouths open, "I mean about the grandmother thing, not the bestiality."

"Phew," Mimi chuckled.

"So what is it? They aren't all part of a cult are they?" Maddy asked checking her shoulder view before turning onto the motor way.

 _'How unbelievably close but no cigar_ ,' I couldn't help but think. Suddenly Lucy's advice floated through my mind, ' _Just tell them quick, shocking news is always better quick. Rip it off...like a plaster! Or when you are waxing those caterpillars you call eyebrows.'_

 _"_ So, here is the thing, my family is magic, my mum, my grandma, all my aunts, they are all witches, my dad, my grandpa, my uncles, all wizards. They are all magic and practise magic and live in a world of magic." Mimi went quite silent. Maddy burst out laughing.

"I knew there was something over compensating about your fathers three piece tweed suits, Wiccans? Like pagans? Your family is a bunch of hippies? Well this camp out just got more interesting, do they like do a lot of hallucinogenic drugs and stuff?"

I shake my head and am vaguely aware of wringing my hands in my lap. "No, they are actually magic. Like the real deal. Casting spells with wands, flying around on broomsticks, cooking up potions in cauldrons, honest to goodness magic. It exists and lives, survives in complete secrecy from normal society."

Maddy smiling, looked at me then did a double take when she saw my expression, "Your joking,"

I sent her a little smile, sending a silent prayer that she wouldn't pull over, right here in the middle of the motorway and kick me out of the car. "Nope, sorry."

"Prove it," She challenged raising an eyebrow, "Cast a spell."

Now, I should of expected that knee jerk reaction but still I blushed and felt slightly nauseous. The greatest part about Madeline and Miriam was they just thought I was normal, like them, average, a muggle. Now they would learn that wasn't true and not only that but I am far less interesting than the rest of my family. "I can't you see, I am something that we... _they_ call a squib, it's a person born to a magical family without any magical abilities." I looked at my hands as I speak, the blush burning my face. How is it that I could feel ashamed in front of people who had no real idea what I was even talking about?

"This is ludicrous..." Maddy laughed her breathy laugh.

"Maddy," Mimi's voice in the back was quiet.

"I mean do you and your cousins all go in for pranks and you are trying to get us before they do or-"

"Madeline!" Mimi yelled. I looked up at her in the back seat, she looked a little flushed herself.

"What? Oh, don't tell me you are buying this Mimi!" Madeline snapped into the rearview mirror.

Miriam swallowed, "I don't have to buy it. I know. Molly is telling us the truth Madeline."


	7. Explanations and Discoveries

_Chapter Six: Explanations and Discoveries_

 _MIRIAM_

My family, where to begin...

My dad is about as average as you can get. Middle management position in an average firm that really doesn't do anything interesting. My mum is pretty much the same; a home maker with no secondary education. My grandparents were the same, except. We have a secret.

My father grew up with his cousin. Harry Potter. Technically he is like, my second cousin...once removed? ...I can never remember anyway, We just call him Uncle Harry.

So our Uncle Harry was… _is,_ I guess, a Wizard. He went to a special school, had magical friends, who all did magic as well. It really is all quite surreal and honestly I would think my father had indulged in to many drugs during his youth if we didn't actually see Uncle Harry, his wife, Aunt Ginny and their three children, James, Albus and Lily, every Christmas break on the twenty-third of December.

They are magic.

They are real.

It does exist.

I mean don't get me wrong, it isn't as if we are really close with them or anything. We used to get on a bit better when we were younger, and we only see them once a year. James is a year younger than me, seems like the kind of boy who wouldn't give a girl like me the time of day. Albus, he's two years younger than me. He's very nice. We got on quite well actually. Then there is Lily. She is a sweet girl, poor thing never got on with DJ who was a year older than her. They were always at odds with each other.

Anyway, as soon as Molly said her family was magic I have to admit I had a bit of a moment of panic I thought for a split second she was talking about me, then realised she was talking about her own family. Oh thank god, she never said anything in front of my dad, he never would have let me go. He is alright with my Uncle's family but that's it. It isn't as if we go over to their house for their annual Christmas open house, or celebrate birthdays together. My father likes to keep that part of the family in a very small, very tight box that isn't to be disturbed, except for once a year

I listened to Molly trying to explain to Maddy, who was just totally unbelieving and honestly who can blame her?

"What do you mean, she's telling the truth?" Maddy snapped in the rear-view mirror of her nice car. She shook her head, "You two are having me on,"

"No!" Molly said, looking rather flustered.

"No, we aren't, I have family members who are magic, I've seen it, she's telling the truth."

This time Molly turned and looked at me, shock on her features, "You have family member's who are witches and wizards? Who are they? I bet my family knows them, my family knows _everyone_."

Now it was my turn to blush, "I can't say. My father made me promise not to tell anyone ever who my Aunt and Uncle are, or about their family."

Molly scoffed, "You know they are probably related to my family somehow, it's big enough, you can tell me who they are."

I shake my head, pursing my lips, "I'm sorry Molly, it isn't my secret to tell."

Molly opened her mouth to argue with me but Maddy banged her hands on the steering wheel, "HELLO!?" She bellowed, "I hate to interrupt you two comparing your friends list, but I am kind of having my mind blown over here. How did neither of you tell me this, after all the years we have been friends?!"

"I told you it wasn't my secret to tell, and besides I hardly have anything to do with those relatives." I saying in a pleading tone.

Molly looked at Maddie and I noticed for the first time just how sad her eyes looked. "I am the only one in my entire family who isn't magic. I am the first squib in four generations. All my cousins went to the same school, have the same experiences and live the life I was supposed to have. It isn't something I generally like to talk about." A flush crept into Maddy's cheeks, which let me tell you was a rare occasion indeed. "That is why I wanted to bring you two with me this summer. My cousins are always talking about how amazing their school year has been, and their unbelievable classes and professors and what they want to do after graduation and I can't relate to any of it. AT ALL. So I wanted to bring my two best friends, who know me better than anyone else in the world. So you can help me get through this. And I mean, we will have fun this summer, more fun than you have probably had in your whole life, but if either of you want to leave that is fine. I understand."

We were all silent for a moment, before Maddy spoke, "We aren't going to get hexed or anything, will we?" She asked.

Molly looked at her with innocent eyes, "No...Definitely not...Possibly... I will tell you which cousins to be extra nice too." She smiled teasingly.

Maddy shakes her head, "What you get us into."

"Of course we are happy to spend the summer with you and your family." I said brightly smiling at Molly who smiled at me.

"I knew I could count on you two."

" _Mmm, mmm, mmm,"_ Maddy and I said in unison. Molly smiled.


	8. Arriving at the Burrow

_Chapter Seven: Arriving At the Burrow_

 _MOLLY_

"Turn right here," I said to Maddy. She looked at me and raised her eyebrows and turned through the little run down stone wall onto the drive that lead to an enormous old overgrown field. Or at least that is what they could see.

"Is this some sort of last minute, get out now speech? Cause I am getting hungry and would rather get there sooner rather than later." Maddy said rolling her eyes. Mimi nodded in agreement in the back seat.

I couldn't help myself and smiled at them and got out of the car. Leaving the door open, and one foot in the mustang, I called out, "DAD!" Both girls flinched at my yell, "DAD! MUM! WE'RE HERE...LITTLE HELP!"

Suddenly the front door (the one Miriam and Madeline still couldn't see) opened and Lucy stood in the doorway and waved at me. "Dad!" She called into the Burrow, both Maddy and Mimi jumped at the sound of a voice coming from somewhere they couldn't see " Molly's here with her friends!".

I sank back into the car, and looked at Maddy, she was looking at me, her face rather pale, I couldn't help but smile. "Welcome to the Burrow, Ladies. "

Maddy looked from me back out the windshield, 'Holy Fu-"

"Jesus!" Mimi squealed from the back seat. I could tell my father had dropped the muggle deterrent spells on the Burrow and suddenly my friends were seeing my Grandparents house for the first time.

 _MADELINE_

So, I can admit, I have used hallucinogenics in the past. It was just a bit of a lark and sure it was fun, walls changed colours, paintings seemed to move, but I most certainly didn't hallucinate anything like this.

It was as if I blinked and suddenly what had appeared to be an abandoned field was filled with this enormous, gravity defying house. It was like something pulled out of a Dr. Seuss book. I mean _really_ , physics did NOT apply. It just stood, slanting slightly to the right, all these floors stacked on top of each other, in no real order. Like rooms had just been stacked on one another, like Lego pieces! There was Molly's little sister on the porch waving at us. Then her dad, who somehow looked even more absurd, because he was standing there in what looked kind of like a three piece suit except for instead of a traditional jacket he had on this big robe like coat on, it was fucking weird man.

Molly smiled at both of us, "Welcome to the Burrow guys," I glanced at Miriam in the back who was staring just as open mouthed as I was. "Come on, you can park right in front of the house, no one else has a car."

"Right, 'course," I said for some absurd reason, like I would know why no one else had a car. God they probably all came on a flying carpet or something. I pushed the mustang in to gear and pulled up to the front of the house and parked. Molly hopped out of the car and ran up to the porch. I looked at Miriam in the back.

She smiled at me a little weakly, "Down the rabbit hole we go, I guess,"

I smiled back, "This is gonna be epic," I assured her and we both got out as well.


	9. Getting Settled

_A/N:_ Oh my goodness! I am soooo sorry I skipped posting chapter eight! Here it is, will definitely help to fill in the blanks. Geez, enjoy! -Cat

 _Chapter Eight: Getting Settled_

 _MOLLY_

I hugged my dad and he whispered in my ear, "And how are we all?"

Pulling back, he looked at me pointedly and I smiled, giving him my most bright ' _Why?-Don't-You-Trust-Me?'_ smile I could muster, "We are all fine."

He nodded, smiling at me, "I am glad," He said putting a hand on my shoulder and I truly felt he meant it. I turned and lead him down the front steps to Miriam and Madeline.

Madeline was staring up at the Burrow mouth wide open, trying to take everything in. Miriam was smiling shyly at my dad, eyes wide. "You guys, you remember my dad, Percy."

"Hello Mr. Weasley," Miriam said brightly.

Madeline looked over at my dad and swallowed, "Hi Mr. W.'

Dad smiled jovially, "Mr. W. ha! Quite. Well, anyway, welcome girls to my parents home, fondly known as the Burrow. I believe Molly, has informed you about...everything?" Both Mimi and Maddy nodded, evidently no longer able to speak properly, "Good, good. Now my wife and I are here for you, if you have any questions or concerns, night or day and we do hope you enjoy yourselves. Please remember that the height of discretion is required from you both regarding our situation." Both Miriam and Madeline nodded like the bobble head sitting on Maddy's dashboard. "Fabulous, come in, come in, let me introduce you to Molly's grandparents."

Dad turned on his heel and walked back towards the Burrow, back in his old prefect mode, knowing full well we would follow him. I smiled at my two best friends and they both looked at me, looking a bit shell shocked. "How you guys doing?" I asked smiling sympathetically at them.

Mimi smiled brightly, her eyes twinkling with excitement, "Fabulous,"

"Good, good," Maddy said nodding.

"Glad to hear it ladies," I stepped between them and wrapped my arms around their shoulders. "Now get ready to meet my crazy mess of a family."

 _MIRIAM_

Overwhelming does not even begin to describe our day today. First off, I need to point out that we are currently in our tent. Our enormous ridiculously impossible tent. I mean on the outside it is this dinky looking four foot high, bare bones tent, then when Molly said teasingly 'after you', Maddy and I both looked at each other. Unsure of what to expect, but knowing some sort of magic must be involved; we stepped into what for all intents and purposes should be called a rather fair sized cottage. I mean you come into a living room, no joke, a living room, with a settee, and squishy arm chairs and a fire place! I mean where does the chimney go, because it looks like it goes through the roof which is like seven feet high, but you can't see it from the outside of the tent!? I mean, really what is that all about?

Hold on...I am getting ahead of myself. We walk in and meet Molly's grandparents, Arthur and Molly. Oh my god, so let me put it this way, if you could choose your grandparents, these are the people you would choose. Magic and all...probably especially because the magic. Molly, who our Molly is named after, is a grandmother personified. She had this wildly curly red hair with bits of this bright silver grey running through it, along with a pencil and I am fairly sure a crochet hook. She is this big woman with a commanding presence that makes you want to listen to her with respect while at the same time you want to run in for a hug. Her grandfather, Arthur, seems like a lovely man. Sure a bit like he needs a keeper, but lovely all the same. You can really see the family resemblance in Arthur, Percy and Molly, Big eyes, long sharp noses. He has a blaze of bright white hair around the back of his head and is stone bald on top, and has wire rimmed glasses sitting on the end of his nose. I mean they just look like normal grandparents...except of course for the shocking rainbow coloured robes they are wearing.

Evidently we awesome of the first to arrive. Molly's dad took the afternoon off to make sure we got settled alright. So nice of him. So now all of us girls are in our bedrooms...in our BEDROOMS, in a TENT! Unpacking and getting settled, but I have to be honest I don't know if I will ever be settled here. How can I be? It's absolutely amazing.

 _MADELINE_

This is unbelieveable... I mean so freaking bizarre! I am in a tent that looks like a house on the inside and it's like _normal_. I mean honestly I feel like I have done a bunch of drugs, only they are the best drugs in the world and all you want to do is touch stuff and say wow a lot.

I walk into our living room (yeah! Our tent has a living room!) and I see Molly just coming out of her room (Yeah, we have our own bedrooms!….I don't think I will ever get used to this). She smiles at me, "How are you holding up?" She asks and I can hear the nervousness in her voice. Honestly as surreal as this is I think she would have a harder time if I took her into one of the pubs my dad owned and showed her the underbelly of London's crime scene.

"Oh you know, through the looking glass, still standing I guess." I say smiling at her. She smiled back and sank into a squishy looking arm chair and following her lead I flop onto the settee. "What's Miriam doing?"

"Probably writing in her diary," Molly said looking over the tent at the closed door leading to Miriam's bedroom. "Did you know about her family?" She asked quietly leaning towards me.

I simply raise an eyebrow at Molly, "Look mate, you are so not one to talk," I wave an arm around the tent, "Hello pot, your black too."

Molly smiled, blushing again and stared into her lap. She looked shyly up at me, "And you really don't mind?"

That was a loaded question, how can I answer that? How can I mind her family is magic like the real thing magic? How can I? It has nothing to do with her. Just like my dad has nothing to do with me. Is it freaking me out a bit, well I feel that is only normal. So I shrug, "Naw, I mean it makes for far more interesting summer right?"

Molly smiled shyly at me, she got up and rushed over to the settee to squish in beside me. "Because, you have no idea how much help it is to have you guys here. I mean for all summer, its just gonna be so much…." She sighed and sat back, " _easier_."

I nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I know." I nodded and suddenly the flap of the tent opened.


	10. Meeting the Boys

_Chapter Nine: Meeting the Boys_

 _MADELINE_

So I realized how ridiculous, and sappy, and pathetic this is going to sound but literally the love of my life walked into the tent.

Yeah, yeah, yeah I know how absolutely lame that sounds but I mean it's true. I have never met him but I just knew, this is the love of my life.

First off, all the physical symptoms. He walks in, hits my line of sight and all these things happen, all at once. My stomach drops….clear out of me, boom, like I just fell backwards into a pool or something. My mouth goes absolutely dry and I feel like my tongue has swollen up twice its size. I am suddenly painfully aware of how I look, in my raggedy old way too big of me torn up jeans, and my old white and red t-shirt that probably looks kind baggy now from wearing it in the car for so long. I don't have any make up on and I am pretty sure my hair looks kinda greasy and here he is.

And oh my god, there he was. He was wearing these tight dark wash jeans and really cool converse sneakers, that were _huge_ by the way. He was wearing this long sleeve t-shirt that was bright red with a rampant lion on the left shoulder that literally kept looking around. The lion on his shirt kept looking around. Seriously. So anyway, then there was him, he had jet black hair that had been oiled into this really bad ass pompadour, these big green eyes, this amazing bone structure and tall…. oh my god. And built!

And here he was standing smiling at my best friend Molly.

MOLLY

Well, when my cousin James walks in with my other cousins Fred and Louis, it would appear Maddy had a stroke. She got all quiet and open mouthed and goggly eyed. Just staring at him like he is the sun rising. I stifle a chuckle. James has always had this effect on girls.

"CUZ!" He bellowed as he walked in.

I laughed because I can't help it, "Hi boys!" I say jumping up, noticing Maddy jump up right on my heels.

"We thought you would never make it." Fred teased, leaping lover the back of the settee only to slouch on it.

"We've been lurking around the village bored out of our minds." Louis said smiling under his lashes, darting glances at Maddy the whole time.

Interesting thing is though, Maddy didn't even look at Louis, she just kept trying to inconspicuously stare at James. Which she was failing at. Very unusual when it came to the Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur's kids, they usually commanded the room.

"Down boys," I tease them, "Ok, if we could behave for five seconds, I know impossible when it comes to you lot but, let me introduce one of my best friends, Madeline Clyde-Jones." I turn to my doe-eyed friend, "Maddie, these are the brutes that I call my cousins. Louis," Louis steps forward, all floppy blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes.

"Enchanté," He says raising an eyebrow, taking Maddy's hand and kissing the back of it.

Maddy tore her eyes away from James to look at Louis and instantly she was back to being my Maddy. She scoffed and smiled a crooked smile, "Yeah, thanks." She shook her head amused but not at all taken in. I mean yeah, he may only be a quarter Veela, but I have literally seen girls push each other down to have Louis look at them and here is Maddy, my muggle best friend looking at him like he is the lamest thing going.

I shake my head, and turn to Fred, "This is Fred," He smiles at her over the back of the settee and waves.

"Hi, heard a lot about you. Glad to know you are in fact real. We were all a bit concerned, our dear Molly wandering around some muggle school, muttering to her imaginary friends." I walked over and punch him in the shoulder.

"Thanks Fred," I say rolling my eyes.

Maddy bursts out laughing, "Nice to meets you,".

Then I turn to James. And he is looking at Maddy. Not in an obvious way, like out of the corner of his eye. She was still looking at Fred and didn't notice but I did and I couldn't help but chuckle. "And this is my cousin-"

"JAMES!" We all turn and see Miriam standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

 _MIRIAM_

James stood up from leaning again the hall stand that was beside our tent flap. (Yup there was a hall stand by our tent flap), eyes wide and eyebrows raised.

I mean there he was _my_ cousin standing in Molly's magic tent looking at me like _I_ was the one who was out of place.

His brow furrowed, "Miriam!?" Molly and Maddy's heads kept swinging between us two.

I looked at Madeline who spoke first, "You know him? You know _him_?!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Molly put her hands up, talking over Maddy, "Is he…..is our James _your_ cousin!?"

"Uh…yeah! He isn't your cousin too?" I squeal painfully aware of how screechy my voice sounds in front of two guys who are both stunningly attractive and I have never met before.

"Bahahahaah!" James burst out laughing, "Are you kidding? My muggle cousin is best friends with my squib cousin? And we never figured that out, did we? What did you guys talk about at school? _How_ could you not know?"

I glare James, just like always he sounds so domineering. Molly glared too, "Ya know talking about _you_ isn't always my main priority at school."

Maddy walked over the tent and sat on the back of the settee, "Don't know why," She muttered under her breath. Molly and I both shot glances at her, she shrugged, "What?" She looked all innocent, and shot a quick smile at James. Who actually sent her a half crooked smile back at her, and his eyes went all dark and smolder-y.

"Ugh," I groan, shaking my head.

"Uh, not to but in but just curious…." The boy on the settee said as he stood up and looked at Molly, who looked at him with a vacant gaze. "Introductions….." He said waving a hand expectantly between him and I. I swallow finding my mouth suddenly very dry.

"Oh right," Molly shakes her head, "Sorry! Miriam, this is Fred, my…. _our_ " She says glaring at James who is still snickering. "Cousin. Fred this is Miriam."

He shuffles around the settee a little awkwardly. He is a big lad. The shortest of all three but still about six inches taller than me. Very broad shouldered… broad chested… He was obviously biracial with lovely caramel skin and big hazel eyes. His hair was a deep very dark auburn cut into a very precise looking fade.

"Hi," He said smiling, and I can't help but think he has the most perfect, amazingly white teeth. I mean these are the teeth of American movie stars. I shake his hand, seemingly unable to look away from his smile when I realize I am staring and have just enough sense to look away.

"Hello,"

And even though it feels like minutes have ticked by Molly continues as if it was merely seconds, "And this is Louis, Louis this is my bestie, Miriam." And that was when she introduced me to the most good looking person I have ever seen in my life.

Like .God. Painful to look at good looking. This amazing, prince charming full head of blonde hair, staggeringly dark blue eyes, chiseled features, thin and sinewy figure, that looked amazing in linen pants and a navy shirt. I mean I swear he was like...glowing or something!

"Nice to see you," He says in this amazing throaty way, almost as if he has a touch of a French accent.

"Mmmnnggrrmf." Did that literally just come out of my mouth? Oh my god, let the tent floor open up and swallow me.

Molly looks at me and shakes her head like she understands, Maddy gives me this look of derision, Louis chuckled and Fred simply shakes his head.

"Yup, sounds about right." He muttered under his breath

I turn to him blushing, "What?"

He shakes his head, and smiles at me politely, "Nothing," James lets out his annoying bark of a laugh and I feel strongly like I am missing out on some family joke. "Come on, Gran said Charlie and Ted would be arriving soon."

With that we headed out to meet the rest of the family.


	11. The Kids

_Chapter Ten: The Kids_

 _MADELINE_

As we walk out the tent we are nearly run over by a gaggle of kids, maybe around thirteen or fourteen.

"Oi, you lot, be polite, meet my friends." Molly shouts at them.

The group of the four stop and smile at us, looking like they are distinctly up to no good. As Molly introduces them she points at them individually, which is helpful, but I have to distinctly pay attention and try my best to not let my eyes wander over to James... Glad I'm not related to him!

"This is Hugo, he is my Aunt Hermoine and Uncle Ron's youngest," A very tall, very young looking gangly youth waves at us, smiling a dopey kind of innocent smile under a very long nose and a massive mope of bright orange-red hair. I notice a long yellow and black scarf around his neck even though it's summer and quite a nice night. "You guys know Lucy," She says dismissively as she points to her sister, Lucy nods at both of us. I guess I never noticed how pretty Lucy was and how different she is from her sister with her soft brown hair, and gentle features. She has a similar scarf on but hers is royal blue and copper. "This is Lily, James' little sister and my Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry's youngest. Obviously you know Miriam," Molly says shaking her head, evidently still not believing how small a world it actually is. The girl is the smallest of the four with long deep red hair and the same big green eyes as her brother but they are slightly hidden by a pair of round glasses, she opened her mouth when her eyes fell on Miriam, who waved at her smiling broadly but Molly shook her head, "In a sec Luc," I notice she has the same scarf on but in the same shade of red and gold as the shirt James is wearing. "And last but not least is our Roxanne, Fred's little sister and Aunt Angelina and Uncle George's youngest." The girl smiled at us, a dazzling smile, she was very pretty with long braids in her hair with the same deep dark auburn hair as her brother. She was wearing a scarf too, it was green and silver.

Molly took a deep breath before pointing at me, "Guys, these are my best friends, Madeline" she points at me and all eyes fall on me, I wave awkwardly.

"Cor, your fit aren't you?!" Hugo blurts out.

I can't help but burst out laughing as Molly screeches, "Hugo!" And James punches him in the shoulder, in what looks like not just a playful way.

"Ow!" he yelled rubbing his arm, "Watch it mate! It was a compliment!"

The three girls all roll their eyes at the exact same time and all say in unison, "Idiot."

Molly shakes her head and glances at me apologetically, "Anyway," she says dismissively, "This is Miriam, my other best friend, any degrading compliments for her Hugo?" Molly said glaring. Hugo shook his head, eyes going big at the foreboding look on Molly's face.

"I could think of a few." Fred piped up standing behind Miriam, we all turn and look at him, "What?" He shrugs, innocent look painted across his face, "I mean that in the best possible way,"

His little sister (...Roxanne I think?) glared, "You're such a pig." She says shaking her head.

Fred smiled a broad grin and Miriam, blushed...huh...interesting.

"Moving on," Molly said rolling her eyes.

Lily dove forward towards Miriam, "Miriam, what on earth are you doing here? Do Dad and Mum know your here yet?"

"No, not yet, you can't imagine how shocked I was to see James," She said smiling at her cousin who instantly hugs her.

Lily smiled in an empathetic kind of way, "Shocked and disappointed?" She said nodding.

"Oi, do you mind, aren't you supposed to show me respect as you big brother?" James snapped stepping up to stand beside me and glare at his sister. I am painfully aware of the fact that his arm is only a breath away from mine, and because of that fact all the moisture disappears from my mouth. Damn that is so irritating.

Lily glanced at her brother, looking unconcerned and then did a double take. "Oh my god James, how many cans of Sleakeasy's hair potion are actually on your head right now? Like seven?"


	12. The Boys

_A/N:_ hi all! Hope you are enjoying the story so far! Prepare to have some new points of view added to our adventure! I would love some feedback, so if you have thoughts or comments please review! Thanks y'all -Cat

 _Chapter Eleven: The Boys_

 **JAMES**

Ok, so maybe we happened to see Molly arrive with her friends at the Burrow as we made our way back from the village. And, maybe I can admit to noticing this Madeline girl. And yeah, so what if I didn't want my hair to look like I had just put my finger in a bloody Blast-Ended Skrewt's back side. Curse my father for giving me this mop. But then to just really and completely throw me under the bus, Lily adds, "And where are your glasses?"

I glare at her, "In the tent. Wanna fetch them for me? Maybe you could do us all a favour and fall down a gnome hole on your way." I make sure to smile very sweetly at her mainly because I know she hates that.

She glares at me but I don't really care. Besides I am wearing the contacts that Aunt Hermoine got for me for Christmas. Not that it is any ones business. I feel people looking at me and notice both Molly and Miriam staring at me like I am something to be inspected.

"I knew it!" Molly said with relief and Miriam looks at her nodding.

"Yeah, something was missing, I knew it!" Miriam says.

I glare at them, feeling my anger boiling up in my chest, and Fred steps between the two girls saying, "So to the house? Don't wanna miss Uncle Charlie now do we?" Rather to loudly, drawing attention away from me.

Madeline who was standing beside me suddenly looks up at Molly and grabs her arm. She shoots Miriam a look, who instantly is on Molly's other side. "Don't want to miss more family now do we," Madeline says in a way that makes me want to ask her what she really means but I don't get the chance.

"Yeah, I am dying to see Uncle Charlie, he said he would bring me back a mummified Dragon's Egg this time." Roxanne says looking cocky.

Lucy rolls her eyes, "You are worse than Professor Hagrid sometimes." flicking her Ravenclaw scarf over her shoulder.

That seemed to be the new thing sweeping the younger years now, wearing your house scarf all the time, no matter the weather. God, the young are ridiculous sometimes. So glad I have graduated already. Suddenly I am thinking about the whole summer stretching in front of me and I feel slightly sick as I think about the letters I received earlier today which are currently under my pillow in the tent I am sharing with Fred and Louis and supposedly Teddy but I am sure Gran is gonna find room somewhere in the house. I doubt she is going to make the precious Teddy sleep in the tent with us. So instead of thinking about my awaiting future I focus my attention back to the girls, specifically one of them, in front of me and suddenly the anxiety lifts from my shoulders and I am back to being my care free self.

As I focus back on what is going on at hand I notice Madeline, linked arm in arm with Molly and Miriam, with Lily on her other side and Lucy looping an arm through Miriam's and the lot of them heading towards the house with Roxanne and Hugo leading the way. Molly looked back over her shoulder and her two friends did exactly the same thing, and I was happy to notice that Madeline's eyes came straight to me.

"Are you lot coming?" Molly asked looking at us like we are all daft.

Fred goes to follow but I stop him when I say, "Oh yeah we will be right there I just have to step back to the tent for a second."

Instantly Molly doesn't look like she believes me, and I am suddenly regretful of all the times I used to harass her for being a squib when we were kids, or just generally being mean to her...but in my defence, it was brilliant fun...still kind of is...damn I hate maturing. Hope she doesn't mention any of that too Madeline "What?" I say trying to look innocent, "I am going to get my glasses!" I shrug and turn knowing full well that Fred will definitely follow me and most likely Louis too.

"Don't take too long!" Lily yells at my back and I throw a hand over my shoulder to prove I heard.

Fred falls into step beside me, "You don't want your glasses do you?" He says simply, not really needing an answer.

Fred has been my best friend since we were born. We have done and always will do everything together. He doesn't need to ask because he knows I don't really want my glasses.

"No mate, no we are not." Louis falls into step beside me on the other side. Louis has always been close with us too but not the same. First off he is a year older, where Fred and I were both in Gryffindor, he was in Slytherin, he never played Quidditch...yeah I know... weird, _and_ he was a prefect, but he is still our cousin.

"Pray tell then, what are we doing?" He asks putting his hands in his pockets.

"Well, first I need a smoke." I say definitively. Fred nods, "And while we smoke, we need to discuss this new development."

We reach our tent and walk through the flap, Fred goes over to the fireplace and pulls a small box of Elven cigarillos out from behind the stacked firewood. He takes one out of the pack and as he throws it over to me says, "What? The fact that Molly's two best friends happen to be the finest birds in the county or the fact you are actually related to one of them?"

"Well, mainly the first." I look up at Fred as I take a drag and let out a cloud of green smoke, "Wait, you think Miriam is fit?" I toss the pack to Louis.

We both look at Fred, "Well, yeah...why wouldn't I? Did you see her?"

I think about Miriam and she just looked like Miriam too me. I shrug, "I dunno mate, she's always been my muggle cousin."

 **FRED**

James walks around the sofa we have in our tent and sits on the edge, "I guess she has lost a lot of weight in the last few years, well now I think about it she hasn't really been heavy since we were maybe ten or so...yeah that's when she deflated."

I roll my eyes at his language. James has always been a bit of a dick. It's just his nature. ' _All of his grandfather'_ , Uncle Harry always said about James. But the thing with James was he was all bark, no bite.

Louis steps forward, "So she used to be fat?"

James exhales perfect smoke rings and nods shooting one right through a bigger one, "Huge, had bad skin too. I dunno, she was a Dursley." He shrugs.

I have a hard time reconciling that thought with the girl we just met. She was dainty at maybe five feet four inches. With this amazing thick blonde hair that fell in waves to her shoulders, and big bright blue eyes. She had dimples and this perfect heart shaped face. And oh was she curvy, just like a perfect pear. My kind of woman.

"Hmmm, that means she has low self-esteem." Louis says smiling at James who looked at him from the corner of his eye. Before James could say anything I jump in.

"Don't you dare, Louis!" I snap at him, letting a plume of green smoke shoot out both my nostrils, I can feel the smoke burning all the way out but I suppress the cough.

Louis looks up at me all big eyed and innocent, "What?"

"Don't use her like she is a toy and throw her away." I say crossing my arms over my chest.

"Who says I do that?" Louis shoots back at me.

"Um, every girl in your year from Hogwarts, and about two-thirds," James looks at me and I nod, "Yeah, two-thirds of the girls in our year, approximately."

Louis shrugs, "Not my fault, I am always completely honest, they are just like moths to the flame."

"You know you do have will power, shocking as that may be to you. But have a bit of respect. She is Molly's friend."

Louis looks at me with a mischievous look on his face, "What? Jealous, cousin?"

"Of you?" I laugh but feel my stomach tighten just a bit.

"I know, to make this summer even more interesting, how about a wager?" Louis says stepping towards me. James stands up as well looking at Louis.

I furrow my brow, "What kind of wager?" Louis was all about gambling, he used to run quite the little black market ring while he was at Hogwarts, he could have any student betting on anything in almost no time at all.

"Why don't we say that if you can make Miriam fall for you first then I won't do what comes naturally to me," He winks in a crass way before finishing "And I promise to leave her alone, as you say."

"How are we supposed to judge that? 'Fall for me'?" I ask shaking my head.

"Oh you'll know, so will I, I will play fair." I glare at Louis, the thing is genetics are against me. Even if Miriam did perhaps find me to be better than the average bloke, as soon as I stand beside...or even in the same room as Louis, she will forget about me like yesterdays Daily Prophet. It's the Veela blood. It gets them every time...damn it, they _are_ like moths to a flame... I hate it when he's right.

James steps between us, "I'll be the judge. I know when girls are head over heels, happens to me on a daily basis," He says jokingly, even though he isn't really joking. In our final year he had four first year girls following him around almost everywhere until about Christmas break, when he got fed up with it. Said they were cramping his style, but really it was because it was making breaking certain rules very difficult. "What does the winner get?" He asks.

I look at him as if it is obvious, "Uh, the girl?"

Louis shakes his head, "Not enough, you seem from the look in your forlorn eyes that that is enough for you but not for me." Sometimes I really just want to hit him right in the face. Then suddenly his eyes light up. "I know," I suddenly feel very nervous, "If you win, I will give you my Nimbus Three Thousand." Both our jaws drop. "It would be handy in your quidditch try outs in a months time wouldn't it?"

I narrow my eyes, Louis has been lording that broom over James and I since he bought it with his inheritance money from his maternal grandmother in January, which is ridiculous as he only uses it for travel occasionally . "What do you get?"

Without missing a beat, without letting that perfect smile slip he says, "You put in a good word for me with Alice Longbottom."

Instantly I am shaking my head, "No, no I can't do that." James looks disappointed because he knows I can't do that, but Louis puts both his hands up and smiles calmly at me.

"Think about it. Let me know before we go to bed tonight." With that, Louis flicks his cigarillo butt into the fireplace and walks out of the tent.

"He is such a colossal ass." I growl, shaking with anger.

James shrugs looking at me with sympathetic eyes, "To be fair mate, he doesn't knows what really happened. All he knows is she is the only one who has ever turned him down... only one he really wanted." James pats me on the back as if that is supposed to make me feel better.

"So he is going to try to sleep with one girl to get to sleep with another?" I shake my head as we walk out of the tent.

"I dunno, maybe he is interested in Alice, he never gave up on her. I mean that for him is almost like love."

I shake my head, "No there is no way." I glare at James, "Doesn't it bother you, he is talking about your cousin like she's an object?"

James shrugs looking at his sneakers, "I dunno, not really... I mean she actually is like my second cousin... or my first cousin once removed... or something, she isn't like a proper cousin, not like you lot. And I mean I only ever see her once a year, for the most painfully awkward dinner you have ever sat through. Honestly, it's a bit weird to think of her like family. Uncle Ron told me some of the stuff her dad used to do to my Dad and I dunno. Not much bothered with her well being really. Although she seems quite nice." He adds quickly when he sees the look of disgust that must be on my face. "I mean she must be alright if she is one of Molly's best friends right? Besides mate," He throws an arm around my neck as we get closer to the Burrow, "With you and him duelling over Miriam, it paves the way for me with Madeline." He smiles at me coyly.

And I shake my head laughing, "Like anything could get in the way of you getting anything you ever wanted."

"Ya see mate, that is the outlook you need. Veela voodoo or not, if you genuinely like her, go after her, you can beat him with your eyes closed. Beside how fantastic would it be to lord that bloody broom over him?"


	13. Meeting the Family

_Chapter Twelve: Meeting the Family_

 _MOLLY_

We all headed towards the house together and Madeline squeezed my arm. I look at her and she is smiling with this mischievous look on her face, her eyes all bright. Geez, she could be a little more subtle. The last thing I need...the LAST thing I need is for Fred or James to find out that I have fancied Teddy since... Well pretty much forever.

I mean which of us hasn't? I mean first off he is just amazingly gorgeous. Like the kind of good looking you think of when you think of Mr. Darcy or Rochester! The kind of man that looks at you and the whole rest of the world doesn't matter, not that he has ever looked at me like that. He has these amazing big brown eyes that have these gold flecks through them, like they were cast in amber or something, and his hair, oh my god, his hair. You see his mum was a metamorphmagus, and although he isn't one properly...he has this stunning blue hair. And it changes, with his mood. It's amazing, like when he is happy it can be this beautiful bright blue, like a summer sky, or if he is upset it goes to this crazy dark navy like the Atlantic, or if he is having fun it can be become this amazing teal like the Mediterranean. And he is super fit, he has to be working with Dragons with Uncle Charlie. Plus, he is just this really good guy...

 _'WHO IS IN LOVE WITH YOUR COUSIN?!'_ This voice in my head yells as my mind wanders over Teddy, and I blink to find Madeline still staring at me expectantly with this excited look on her face. I shake my head ever so slightly and swallow the lump in my throat.

She nods only slightly and looks back at my younger cousins, pointing a finger at them all, "So what's with the scarfs, aren't you lot dying of heat stroke?"

Lily looks up at Madeline and giggles, muggles never cease to amaze my cousins or my family in general. See how they would like it, being dropped in to a muggle shopping mall. Sometimes I find myself being overly defensive when it comes to muggles, I mean I basically am one, I just happen to be one of the few who has seen behind the magic curtain... so to speak.

"They represent our houses at Hogwarts," She explains patiently, "I'm in Gryffindor! Just like my dad and mum and James, _'where dwell the brave of heart'_!" She trills.

Lucy leans in front of Miriam waving the end of her scarf at us, "I'm in Ravenclaw... _'where those of wit and learning will always find their kind'_!"

Hugo turns around in front of us and continues to walk backwards, "Me, I'm in Hufflepuff," I notice him blush as he talks to Madeline, and I can't help but shake my head, " _'Where they are just and loyal'_ ," he smiles his lop sided smile and trips as he turn to face the house again.

Roxanne flicks her scarf over her shoulder and says casually, "I am in Slytherin, _'Cunning and Ambition, are valued to the end_ ,'"

All four of them laugh like they are in on some big joke, Miriam looks between them all, "So you are all in different houses?"

Lily nods, "Yup, we are the first generation to have someone in each and every house." She says proudly, "And all of us made the quidditch teams of our respective houses last year! Matches are brilliant fun."

My head swivels over to Lucy who is looking at her shoes and her cheeks are a distinct pink shade. "You made the quidditch team last year?" I ask, shocked she wouldn't have mentioned something that big.

"Well, yeah...I sort of did." She continues to look at the ground.

Hugo obliviously turns back around, "Yeah, she made seeker, so did Lily, I'm a keeper jumst like my dad obviously and Roxy made beater."

Miriam blinked at Hugo, "Sorry?"

Lily who had been looking at Lucy interrupted, "Oh quidditch, it's brilliant, but too long to explain now, come on I think I hear Uncle Charlie and Teddy!" She drops Madeline's arm and runs around us to grab Lucy and streaks ahead of us into the house, with Hugo and Roxanne close behind.

Miriam looks at me and does a double take when she sees my face, "What? What's wrong?"

I shake my head, "Nothing, I will tell you later." Miriam nodded and let it drop as we walked through the back door of my grandparents house.

Nothing much ever changes here, it's quite nice actually. When I was younger I didn't like coming here as much because everything was so overtly magic, and I mean everything. At home, we did have magic things obviously but it wasn't quite so polar opposite from what a muggle house might look like, not like my grandparents house anyway. Being here when I first found out, before I was used to what I was, only made things worse. Reminding me of what I could never have, what I would never truly be a part of. Now I am starting to realise, even though I am not magic, they are still my family. Still a part of who I am, craziness and all.

I look at Miriam and Madeline on either side of me, both still with their arms looped through mine and I see the looks of amazement on both their faces. Its kinda odd for me to see how they react, makes me realise just how in between two worlds I am. Everything must look so odd to them. Madeline is staring at the clock in the corner that doesn't have two hands but instead has eight hands, each with a picture of my grandparent's children and themselves, and instead of numbers around the face there are states of being, _At Work, Travelling, Sick, Near Death, At School._ There is another clock in the sitting room, on the mantle, that my father had made for Gran with all us grandkids on it. My hand won't move though, unless she moves it manually, which I know she does. Miriam meanwhile is staring at a broom in the corner which keeps gliding around sweeping the floor all by its self.

"This is sooo trippy," Madeline says shaking her head.

There is a loud pop and suddenly James and Fred are standing on either side of us. Appearing out of thin air, I had forgotten they must have passed their apparition trials. Madeline jumps into me yelling, "Gahhh!" While Miriam ducks and screams.

"What's trippy?" James asks casually before he looks at Madeline properly and notices just how huge her eyes are.

I shake my head at him, "Really?"

James' eyes go big, "What? I'm sorry, did we scare you?"

Fred chuckles, "Can't wrap my head around having muggles in the house."

"Try please," I snarl. Just what I need, them scaring my friends half to death before we even make it through the first day.

Gran pokes her head around the doorway into the living room. "Fred! James! What have I told you about apparating in the house?"

"The last thing you need is us ending up in a wall." They say in unison in a monotonous tone both rolling their eyes.

"That's right," Gran bustles in, wiping her hands on her apron and looking at us girls. She smiles at me, the way she always does, with real pride and love. That smile has always meant so much to me. "Come now, you will scare these poor young ladies half to death. Not the way to make a good impression now is it? They will think you were raised in a barn."

Instantly I feel Miriam and Madeline relax. My Gran had a way of doing that to people, making them feel comfortable and safe. Even if they had just met her.

"Come on now you lot, Uncle Charlie and Teddy just arrived, they are in the sitting room telling us about getting back into England, sounds ghastly to me, wish they would stay closer to home." She bustles the five of us through the kitchen.

"I could start breeding a pack of Dragons for you Gran," Fred says, "My quidditch career can wait a few years."

"No, no thank you Fred, I don't think that will be quite necessary, dear." She says without batting an eyelash.

Then we walked into the sitting room and there everyone is. Uncle Charlie is standing in front of the fireplace with Granda, Lily, Lucy, Roxanne and Hugo, re-enacting what looks like a hilarious Port Key journey. He looks good, for his age, all sun beaten with an insane five o'clock shadow and his orange hair cropped short, with this deep grey winning the battle at the front of his hair. Uncle George and Auntie Angelina were sitting on the settee watching with amused looks on their faces. I am surprised Aunt Angelina has put her hair back into braids, she was rocking quite an epic afro last time I had seen her. Maybe Roxy had persuaded her to go back to braids.

Mum and Dad were standing behind the settee, watching Charlie as well. Mum looked over at us all when we came in the room and met my eye, she smiled at me and I smiled back. I know they are happy I am here with my friends. I am pretty sure they thought I would refuse coming without them. I honestly can't say whether I would have or not.

Louis is standing with Dominique, his older sister, Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur, Albus, Rose and Teddy.

Teddy looks up as we walk in as well. His eyes hit mine and he instantly smiles, his royal blue hair falling in his eyes and I can't possibly be responsible for what I am sure is a ridiculously dopey looking grin from spreading on my face. As soon as he looks at me I feel this instant warmth spread through my entire body like I have been wrapped in a lovely warm quilt. He looks amazing as per usual. He is wearing jeans that look old and worn and a little outdated, a red shirt buttoned low so you can see his collar bone and the necklace with a dragon's tooth on it he always wears, under a black velvet vest. I can see the chain hanging out his back pocket attached to his old wallet that used to belong to his father. He has a new burn on his left forearm that looks all shiny and sore. I wonder vaguely why he hasn't treated it with some sort of salve or lotion, couldn't be that hard, Victorie is in her fourth and final year of apprenticeship at St. Mungo's hospital.

"Oi, look at you lot! New additions as well I see!" Uncle Charlie bellows seeing us. He strides across the sitting room and sweeps me into a bone crushing hug. Uncle Charlie has always been so nice to me, probably if I absolutely had to say he was the Uncle I was closest too. The year I found out I was a squib, when I broke my leg, he visited me about every other day, bringing me different books. Muggle and magic books, like it was no big deal, normal that I should want both. "Molly! I can't believe you I could hardly recognize you!" He holds me at arms length when he lets me go and looks me up and down, "Can you believe this girl Teddy? We leave her alone for a second and she turns into a woman!" He teases.

"I don't remember saying that was allowed." Teddy says in his normal casual tone. I know he is only teasing but as Teddy walks over for the usual hug, I nearly swallow my tongue. He hugs me, as Charlie turn to shake James and Fred's hands. His arms wrap around me and my heart skips a beat. He smells amazing. I should not be this aware of how good he smells, or how perfectly I fit with him as my arms somehow remember how to hug back. I let him go and take a quick step back to stand between Madeline and Miriam, just so I don't fall over. "How are you Molly? It's been an age hasn't it?" He asks.

"Oh you know, contemplating what to do with the rest of my life." I say. Madeline glances at me from the corner of her eye. I have known what I wanted to do with my life for the past five years but somehow what I said sounded more interesting and care free. Shit.

"Tricky isn't it? Just when you think you have it figured out," He snaps his lovely long manly fingers, "Something just happens, changes everything." He has this way of looking directly into your eyes and maintaining eye contact, and you don't realise how intense that is until your confronted with it. His words spin around in my head. What does he mean by that? Don't over think, my brain screams and I am happy to be distracted by Uncle Charlie saying something.

"Now, who are these fine young damsels?" He crosses his arms looking at me expectantly.

"Calm down Charlie, your old, you'll give yourself a stroke," Uncle George says casually.

"Or scare off the girls so they never want to have anything to do with us any more." Aunt Angelina adds, Uncle George nods.

"Well, since it is their last summer together, Molly brought some of her school friends with her." My father says. God he makes me sound like a child.

"Everyone, these are my best friends, Madeline Clyde-Jones, and Miriam Dursley." My Gran and Granda, Uncle George, and Albus all do a double take when I say Miriam's name. I put my hand up to stop them from interrupting. "I'll explain in a minute but let me introduce you lot first. Ok, girls, first off, this is my Uncle Charlie,"

"I am her favourite," He teases, shaking both their hands. Both of them giggle.

I point over the sitting room, "That is my Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur, they are Louis's parents and that is their middle daughter Dominique."

"Bonjour!" My Aunt says smiling over at the girls who both wave across to her, and I can see it in their eyes, the glazing of being unable to comprehend her beauty.

"Welcome to the clan ladies," My Uncle Bill says brightly. Both girls stare at him too. The scars from the second war only make him more ruggedly handsome, even I can see that.

Dominique smiles and waves too, she is the least 'Delacour' of all their kids, she has soft strawberry blonde hair and is overly tall like her dad. "I'm sure we are going to have gads of fun this summer!" She says brightly. Both Miriam and Madeline nod.

I point over to the Settee, "My Uncle George and Aunt Angelina, they are Fred and Roxanne's parents."

"Did you really feel that needed to be pointed out," Fred teased over my shoulder, walking around to sink into the settee next to his mum. "Kinda goes without saying, family resemblance and all."

"Fred!" Aunt Angelina and Gran both snapped at the same time, I roll my eyes, but I notice Miriam giggle at his words.

"Nice to meet you both," Aunt Angelina says politely smiling.

"I wish you good luck, if you can survive this summer you are made of the right stuff," Uncle George says pretending to tip a hat he isn't wearing. Madeline and Miriam both glance at me, I roll my eyes.

"That is my cousin, Albus, he is between James and Lily. Miriam, you already know him obviously." Albus waves shyly. The most subdued of the Potter cousins. His hair is a bit longer than when I last saw him, and it is falling in his eyes, unlike his brother or his dad's hair, which always has a mind of its own. Albus is also the only Potter cousin who doesn't wear glasses, he is rather pale but that is usually pretty normal for sixteen year olds, it would seem gauntness is a requisite. "And that is my cousin Rose, she is Hugo's older sister." Rose smiles brightly, and I am surprised to see braces on her teeth, I guess I haven't seen her and Hugo in about two years. Her normally wild brown hair has been tamed though, into a very tight looking bun.

Suddenly we hear the front door open, and we all turn to see my Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermoine walk into the sitting room, all still wearing their travelling cloaks.

"Hello All!" Uncle Ron says taking Aunt Hermoine's cloak from her shoulders.

"Sorry we were late, hit a bit of a tail wind over Bristol, decided to wait it out, since Hermoine still isn't the best flyer." Uncle Harry explains.

"I wanted to take the car, but no! You three want to ride brooms like we are teenagers again!" Aunt Hermoine throws back.

Aunt Ginny smiles at her close friend and sister in law. "Oh you did just fine." She turns and sees me and smiles, "Oh good, everyone is here! I can't wait to meet your friends Molly, I am sure they are- Miriam?!"

Uncle Harry looks up at the name, his glasses slipping down his nose and stops when he sees Miriam.

"Miriam! What on earth are you doing at the Burrow!" He hollers.

"I am one of the friends!" Miriam answers smiling brightly at them.


	14. Conversations

_Chapter Thirteen: Conversations_

 _MIRIAM_

"Do your parents know you are here?" Uncle Harry asks, rather abruptly.

I nodded quickly, "They know I am at my best friend's grandparent's house for the summer, at their family reunion." I smile innocently hoping that will be it.

It is just me, Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, Molly, her parents and grandparents. Everyone else went outside to set up tables for dinner, evidently we were going to be eating outside.

Uncle Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, "Not what I meant Miriam."

"I know, but they know everything important."

"Yeah, Uncle Harry, it really isn't a big deal." Molly says standing beside me.

"Trust me Molly, if you knew my cousin Dudley you would not be saying that."

Molly's father clears his throat, "If I may Harry?" Uncle Harry looks a little caught off guard by the formality of Mr. Weasley's tone, I notice Auntie Ginny roll her eyes, but Uncle Harry nods.

"Please, Percy be my guest."

"I have met Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, Miriam's parents. I assured them we would look after her and we went to the trouble of putting a telephone in the girls rooms in case they need to speak to their respective families."

Aunt Ginny looked up at her brother at that, a curious look in her eyes, "Really? A telephone, will it work in an enchanted tent?"

"Oh yes, Audrey became quite skilled at charming rooms to allow Muggle devices to work with magic surrounding them. We had to charm the entire top floor of the house to let Molly's computer work."

Aunt Ginny nodded at Mrs. Weasley, "Impressive," Molly's mum smiled.

"Thank you Ginny."

"Anyway, I see no reason why Miriam, shouldn't be here. I think it is very good to strengthen the bonds between muggles and witches and wizards alike. Not suppress them." Mr. Weasley said standing rather straighter, if that was possible.

Uncle Harry looked as if his eyes glazed over, ever so slightly as Mr. Weasley spoke but eventually he just nodded, "Well you are the one who has to deal with Dudley if he find out his daughter spent all summer with a wizarding family."

 _MADELINE_

I am standing outside, with my arms crossed watching Molly's Uncles...I am not sure which ones, putting up these enormous tables out and right now those tables are in the air, attacking each other.

One her Aunts, the one with the braids whose son and daughter we met earlier, walks behind me shaking her head with table cloths in her arms. "Every time we all get together."

I watch her walk by and go back to staring open mouthed.

"How you holding up?" I look over and see Molly's cousin James coming over and standing by me. I didn't notice before, probably because he literally appeared out of thin air, but he isn't wearing any glasses, which makes me wonder why they all went back to their tent earlier. I once again notice just how amazingly attractive he is.

"Oh you know," I say, looking from him up to the tables which were now starting to float down so they could actually get set. "Just chilling in my best friends grandparents house, with her enormous family while tables soar around and people appear out of thin air when they feel like it."

He nods and stands beside me to watch his Aunt ...Angelina! She waves, what I feel pretty safe guessing is a wand and the table clothes just open midair, by themselves and gently and perfectly float over the tables and lay themselves down. "So just a touch overwhelmed then." He says indicating a touch between his fore finger and his thumb as being very tiny.

I chuckle, "Yeah, you could say that."

"It's odd to me, how this all must look to you," I look at him and he is looking out over the tents set up in the back yard in two neat rows, three on one side two on the other, the tables quickly getting set by magic in front of us. It looks like he is trying to look at something for his eyes to see it differently, suddenly his head swivels around and catches me staring at him, I let out a breathy laugh that I didn't know I had in me and look back at the tables, when he says, "Ya know, my dad, he was just like you..." I look at him and raise an eyebrow, "Well, I mean he obviously isn't a muggle but he didn't know about magic until he got his letter from Hogwarts when he was eleven."

"Really?" I say pretty surprised. The man Molly introduced me to probably looked the most like a wizard of everyone we had met so far. His hair was dark and absolutely crazy, standing up in all different directions, round wire rimmed glasses sitting on his nose and what looked like a gnarly scar over his right eye. He looked a lot like James, but James was maybe a few inches taller.

James nods, "Yeah, hadn't the foggiest about all this. The Burrow was the first magical house he had ever been too as well. I guess there was Professor Hagrid's shack but I don't think that is quite the same thing." I blink and look at James, there are some many things he says that I just have absolutely no idea what he is talking about. He looks at me, "Do you have a big family?"

"Oh god no," I shake my head, "Barely have any at all actually, just my dad and my auntie."

"Wow," James runs a hand over his hair and a bit comes undone near the back and stands straight up, I stifle a giggle. "Can't imagine what that must be like," He looks around his family members, his eyes sort of blank, like he is really thinking about something, "Were you really spoiled because you were on your own with your dad?" He asks looking back at me, his eyes were warm, inviting.

I wrap my arms around myself, "Yeah, I was definitely daddy's little princess all right, but when I was fourteen he ... left." I look away from James, past the tents on to the horizon.

"He left?" James prompts putting his hand in his pockets and sounding empathetic.

"Oh, no," I realise how that must have sounded, "No, not like that, well not really..." I hated this part, I look at James and think what the hell, "He works away on business..." James is still looking expectant, confused, "With the military?" I for some reason, instantly feel guilty for lying. Not a lot of people know about my father, who he is, properly. I mean there were rumours at school, but I never denied or confirmed them. The only people who know the whole truth, who I actually told and didn't absolutely have to were Molly and Miriam. So why was I feeling guilty lying to James? I mean yes, he may very well be my soul mate, but still I _just_ met him. I hardly know him at all.

"Oh yes, that's like a great big band of Muggle Aurors right?" He says nodding, as if I have said enough.

I can only stare back at him blankly, "Sorry, what?"

"Um, how can I explain this..." He faces me and looks like he is thinking.

"First off, what's a muggle? People keep saying that and I have no idea..."

James looks at me his eyebrows raise, "Really? Geez, Molly really did a crap job getting you ladies ready for all this."

"To be fair, she only told us this morning." I say slightly defensively.

"No excuse, but whatever, it gives me even more reason to spend time with you."

I look at him and he is smiling down at me, a very confident smile, "Is that so?" I tease back, returning the flirting he is obviously sending my way.

"Yes, I pledge, from here on out to be your wizarding teacher, anything magic I can explain and teach you about. It will make this summer much more interesting for both of us. And I know you would prefer to have me as a tutor, because I am much better looking than Molly."

I laugh, "Humble too, I see."

His eyes go all intense and I just want to throw myself at him, "Modesty never got anyone anywhere fun." He very casually throws an arm around my neck and starts to walk me around the table. The four youngest...Lucy..Lily...Hugo and Roxanne (yes! Finally starting to get the names!) are setting out the cutlery. "So first off, a muggle is someone like you, or Miriam, someone who has no magical ability."

"So normal?"

He waves a hand, "Normal is all about perspective, I find you positively outlandish."

"Ok, so then how come Molly isn't a muggle, how come she is a squid?"

"Uh, you mean ' _squib'_ love, and she is considered a squib because she was born to a wizard father and a witch mother but ended up without magic. It can happen in reverse as well. Two totally muggle parents, _boom_ , can have a witch or a wizard for a baby. The difference with Molly is because she was born to magic parents she can see things average muggles can't. Like when you pulled up to the house, could you see it?" I shake my head, "See, that's because of the anti-muggle spells, they are actually all over the place, you would probably be shocked to see just how many witches and wizards and magic places you see or pass by on a day to day basis without even knowing it."

We have walked all the way around the table and are coming up to Fred and Louis who are standing, heads together, deep in conversation. "I hadn't had a chance to give it much thought yet."

James looks down at me, still with his arm around my neck, I can feel his breath brush against my ear, "What?"

"What it would be like for Molly." I look around the backyard at all the magic. "Musta been awful." I think back to being fourteen and being dropped off at school and looking at all the other kids with both parents seeing them off to school, not a guardian and a body guard. I know what it is to feel separate to feel different from everyone else, but I can't imagine what it was like for her, suddenly I feel a great swell of sympathy for my best friend.

James goes quiet and stiffens a little beside me, oh god maybe I am being to heavy. Ugh don't ruin it! We come up to Fred and Louis just as they unclasp their hands from what looked like a rather firm hand shake. "Hello boys, all well in love and war?" I look at James as he speaks but he doesn't meet my eye.

Louis laughs and Fred gives him a smile, "Oh you know mate. As it always goes," I want to ask what they are talking about but suddenly Molly and Miriam walk out the back door, saw us and make a b-line over.

Molly's eyes fall on James' arm, draped casually over my right shoulder and raises an eyebrow, I shrug ever so slightly and try to look innocent and normal. Which is kinda hard because what I really want to do is like scream at her 'Oh my god he's touching me! Do you see? Do you see? He's touching me and he is flirting with me!'. Instead I just smile, as Miriam notices too and her eyebrows shoot right up into her hairline.

"Alright you lot?" Molly asks, looking James right in the eye. He smiles casually back at her. "Taking care of Maddy I hope?" She asked, looking pointedly at his arm.

"Of course cuz, I've been a proper gentleman!"

"So how was that? All sorted out? You don't have to go or anything?" Fred asked looking intently at Miriam.

She went a bit pink in the cheeks but shakes her head, "No problem, just had to explain a bit, that's all. Molly's dad was brilliant."

"Uncle Percy?" James scoffs, "First time for everything I guess," Molly glares at James and I have a slight sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Not everyone has a dad like yours, James." Miriam and I both look between Molly and James. The tension is almost palpable.

"Oi," Miriam says waving a hand in front of Molly's eyes making her blink and look from James to Mimi. "Can we keep the inside jokes and references to a minimum until Maddy and I are even slightly on the same page?"

I am glad Miriam said something, otherwise I would have. Just then Molly's grandmother emerges from the kitchens back door followed by a train of floating serving dishes and platters, calling "Dinners ready!"


	15. Dinner

_Chapter Fourteen: Dinner_

 _MOLLY_

Dinner is mad. I had forgotten how big the family actually is. Having us all together like this, well it's overwhelming for me, let alone Maddy and Mimi. They are sitting on either side of me, Madeline to my left, Miriam to my right, James is on Madeline's left, Fred is on Miriam's right and Louis is sitting across from her.

I have to say I am a little surprised how my male cousins have just swooped down on my friends. I hadn't expected that. Sure Maddy and Mimi were good looking girls, I mean Maddy has always gotten attention, being so bloody skinny, which I have no idea how she manages because she eats like a horse, and her darker colouring from her mother's side, and her big hazel eyes and jet black hair, even with its red and purple highlights right now. And Mimi, well, Mimi has always been shy. She looks fantastic now but I think from being a bit heavier and so forth, I don't think she has much confidence now, even though she is a voluptuous beauty with rich thick blonde hair and dimples that would melt a heart.

Anyway, I dunno, I guess I expected the guys to just shrug them off as my muggle friends and pretty much ignore us. It seems now that was pretty short sighted and I have this horrible sinking feeling that I am going to turn into the third wheel and be ditched, even though the whole reason I brought them was to purposefully avoid that.

I hear James explaining Quidditch to Madeline on my left. I look over at them out of the corner of my eye. I can tell Madeline is trying to pace herself and be ladylike, Miriam is always nagging her about table manners but I can tell she is struggling because of how extraordinarily good my Gran's cooking is. If she wasn't trying to impress my cousin she would literally be shovelling it in her face. I see James and he is leaning towards her, his eyes so intense as he explains the quaffle and the chasers, I don't think I have ever seen him look this engaged by something that didn't involve breaking a serious rule or possibly maiming one of our cousins.

I suddenly wish I knew him a bit better. We have always been on opposite sides of the family. Our fathers didn't get on very well, so we never spent a lot of time together growing up expect on full family vacations. And I never wanted to spend much time with him as he always used to tease me terribly. Come to think about it, I don't even know if he had ever even had a serious girlfriend before. I know from Lucy and Lily spending so much time together he had a gaggle of girls constantly in love with him at school, and from the sounds of things he thrived on it, which didn't make me feel particularly comfortable with just how intense he was getting with my best friend. But then again he seemed to be the one doing most of the fawning.

A loud laugh down the table makes my head swing down the huge table and see my Uncle Charlie and Uncle George just killing themselves laughing and Teddy going rather red in the face. Through most of dinner Teddy kept looking up at the house or at his watch on his wrist and I wondered vaguely if that had something to do with Victorie's absence.

I force myself to look down at my plate, still full of a portion of heavenly shepherds pie. ' _It's none of your bloody business what he is waiting for. He isn't you boyfriend. He probably doesn't even think of you as a woman, just this androgynous lump of a squib cousin_!' My brain yells at me.

"So how was your final year of school Molly?" I look up to see Dominique staring at me smiling politely. She was probably the nicest of all my cousins. Dominique was quiet and soft spoken and just an amazingly kind person. I smile at her.

"It was good, hard though, rather surreal to thinks it's all finished now." I say smiling across the table at her.

"Did all three of you graduate this year?" She asks.

"Yes, we are all in the same year." I answer.

Miriam overheard and turned to join in our chat, "Yeah, now Molly has to really relax before she starts back up again!" Miriam teased, smiling at me.

I roll my eyes, "Start what back up again?" Fred asks, shovelling a whole Yorkshire pudding in his mouth in one big disgusting bite.

"Uni," Maddy answers as if it is obvious, joining our group of conversation, James hot on her heels, he really was focused on her.

"What's 'uni'?" He asks, smiling at her, he actually looks a bit dopey fawning all over her. It's almost cute. If it weren't my cousin James that is.

"You know University?" Miriam prompts leaning over me and looking down at James.

"The wizarding world doesn't really have University the way we do girls," I explain.

Miriam looks over the table at Louis who shrugs vacant look on his face. "What does it do?" Asks Fred.

"Well," Miriam says, looking like she is having a bit of a hard time coming up with a way to describe it. "It's where we go to learn how to do professions. Like higher learning. What do you guys do?"

"Well, it depends on what you wish to do, but mainly in your last two years at Hogwarts you prepare, then you have apprenticeships mainly, for instance I am in my second year of training at Gringotts. Dad says I am doing really well," Dominique beams.

"Congratulations Dom!" I say smiling.

"Thanks! What are you going to university for?"

Before I get a chance to answer Miriam jumps in, "Oh Molly? She wants to be- ow!" I kick her hard under the table. All eyes rest on Miriam. She smiles tightly going bright red, "sorry, bit my tongue,"

"Ooh, that's the worst!" Fred sympathizes,

Madeline jumps in to my rescue, "Molly said you two have an older sister, is she coming later?" I blink at Maddy, happy for the change in conversation but I am nervous that she is being obvious, but maybe I am just being paranoid.

"Yes, how sweet of you to notice," Dominique said smiling, "That's Victorie, she is the only family member not here. She is very busy right now in her final year as an apprentice healer at St. Mungo's our hospital. She had been working like mad all year. I thought she would be here by now but I guess they kept her late."

I can't help but glance down the table at Teddy and wonder...

"You see Maddy, we have healers instead of doctors." James explains, and my head swivels around, when did he start calling her Maddy? It was like a year before I called her that!

"Ahh, so what's the difference?" she asks.

"Well," I jump in, "Where we have surgeons and General practitioners and specialists, they have potion masters, healers that focus on curses or hexes or jinxes, or whatever."

"Wow," Miriam's eyes are huge, "how many years does that take?"

Louis jumps in, "Well it depends on what you are wanting to learn, I just finished my first of three years as a potion master at St. Mungo's but since Victorie wants to work with irreversible spells she is on her final year of four."

"Really? Gosh, it takes like what nearly ten years to become a doctor! Right Molly?" Miriam's head swivels to look at me. Oh god, didn't she take my not so subtle hint of the kick under the table?

"Wait, wait, wait..." James voice is like the crash of thunder before a storm breaks out. "Does our little Molly want to be a muggle doctor?"

Now I dunno maybe it is because I am so used to him being snarky and rude to me I hear that special kind of tone in his voice, but maybe I am wrong, maybe he's just curious and I am over sensitive but I am painfully aware of my cousins eyes all looking at me expectantly.

"She looked into it with me last year, I dragged her to some introductory seminars." Maddy says without batting an eyelash at the bold faced lie. "Says she hasn't made up her mind."

Mimi looks down the table at Maddy with a confused look but I catch her eye and glare until she nods and looks back at her plate.

"So you want to be a doctor?" James asks quickly focusing back in Madeline. It's funny because that is the farthest thing from the truth, in actual fact I dragged Maddy to those seminars last year because I didn't want to be on my own but I didn't want to tell my family yet I was thinking about going into medicine.

Madeline shrugs casually, "I don't know, still haven't made up my mind." A good follow up even though I know it's a lie. Madeline want to become a barrister. Has done for an age.

James nods, "I can imagine." His tone of voice catches my attention and Madeline's too we both look at him when Miriam looks up, to say "Is that an owl?"


	16. Going to Bed

_Chapter Fifteen: Going to Bed_

 _MOLLY_

The owl was from Victorie, explaining that she was caught at St. Mungo's and wouldn't be able to make it until the morning. She loved us all and would see us soon. Teddy's eyes were dark as he read the letter out. After he finished speaking his eyes kept moving over the parchment. Whether he was just rereading the letter or reading something he didn't want to share I don't know.

I try really, really hard _not_ to think that if he was mine, and had been gone for a full year, wild thestrals couldn't keep me away from him. I try really hard not to think Victorie is a fool to not run into his arms the second he arrived home. Because who am I to say? I don't know what she is doing or how important it is. I don't know how they interact with each other. It isn't fair of me to think about him like that, it isn't my worry, I just can't help it. No matter how much I just want to think about him as an older adopted cousin, I just can't seem to convince my heart of that.

After dinner we all decided to call it a night. It had been a long day for Madeline and Miriam, and I figured a quiet night, just the three of us was in order.

Fred and James and Louis put up a bit of a fight, wanting us to come and hang out in their tent, and if I am being honest Mimi and Maddy didn't seem totally apposed to the idea. I was just so ready for a break. I wanted to spend time with _my_ friends. Not share them with my cousins who wanted to flex their testosterone. Ironically, it was Teddy who saved me.

"Come on, we can explain more about Hogwarts to your fine friends here. They need to be well armed if they are to have any idea what's actually going on all summer." James said playfully punching me in the shoulder trying to convince me that all three of us should join us in their tent, Mimi, Maddy, Fred and Louis all following close behind us as we headed back to the tent.

"We can do that tomorrow James, we have all summer. I am tired, the girls are tired. Give it a rest." I say shaking my head.

"Come on Mol," God, I hate it when my family calls me that. "I may or may not have a few bottles of fire whiskey stashed. Just a night cap?" I glare at him.

"Leave it alone James." Teddy suddenly fell into step beside me, from out of almost no where. James and I both looked at him, he had his rucksack hanging over his shoulder and was rubbing the bridge of his nose, he looked at us, his hair a dark royal blue, "I'm bloody exhausted, just wanna hit the mattress and rest please. Like Molly said, you have all summer to act drunk and foolish."

James looked a little insulted, he narrowed his eyes, "So you _are_ staying in our tent then?"

"Yeah, Gran Weasley tried to offer me the attic but I said the tent was fine, I know the ghost likes me, but just because he doesn't moan does not mean that he doesn't like to chat." I laugh and James shakes his head. When I laugh Teddy looks down at me and smiles brightly, making me feel all light headed, "Let the girls get their beauty rest, final word." We reach the outside of our tent and after what I think might have been a breath of hesitation Teddy just leans over and kisses me on the forehead. Like it is a totally normal thing to him to do. Like something he did everyday. "Night Molly," And with that he strode off towards the boys tent at the back of the garden.

Fred, Louis and James all trailed after him, begrudgingly and I was left standing there with my forehead on fire. I wasn't totally sure if I was still even breathing. My hands were shaking and all I could do was stare at him walking away until he disappeared into the tent. Just before James walked in he looked back over his shoulder at me but I couldn't read his expression, it was too dark.

Suddenly Madeline physically shoved me into the tent, "Oh my god, did what I think just happen, actually happen?" She asked, Miriam looking at me expectantly.

"Uh," I walk over and slowly sink onto the settee. "I think so...wait, what did you think happened?"

Madeline throws herself into the chair and Miriam sits beside me, "Well, it was hard to know for sure especially because Louis and Fred were yammering over each other, both trying to talk to Miriam at the same time." Maddy rolled her eyes but Mimi blushed smiling. "But, my dear it kinda looked like he kissed you on the forehead..."

I look up at Madeline, my eyes must have been huge, because a slow mischievous smile spread over her face. Mimi's hands flew up to her mouth.

"Oh my god, Molly," Mimi practically whispers as if we were discussing this huge taboo thing. "Has he ever done anything like that before?" I shake my head, evidently unable to talk. "Well gosh." Mimi looks from the two of us smiling brightly, "Oh my gosh can you imagine if we all got boyfriends by the end of this summer! All of them in your family!"

I leap off the settee, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." I say, "He was probably delirious from exhaustion. He had just been telling James how bagged he was. It was probably the same thing he woulda done if he was saying goodnight to Lily or something."

Maddy looks at me with a raised eyebrow, "Really, you think he thinks of you like a little 13 year old sister? Evidently you didn't see the way he looked at you when you walked into that sitting room."

Instantly I am back in the sitting room, thinking over what happened when we walk in and he just looked happy to see us all.

"Yeah Molly, it was like he was stranded in the desert and you were an oasis." Mimi said smiling, a far away look in her eye. Maddy nodded even if she did scrunch her nose at the sappiness of it all.

I shake my head, Mimi was always prone to romanticizing everything. She always seems to think I have guys throwing themselves at me. "Your both delusional! Drunk on the attention of my idiot cousins, you're starting to see infatuation where there isn't any."

"Whatever mate, I saw him look at you, its been what? Three years since he's seen you? That look was not, 'oh here is my nice little cousin, isn't she precious'. That was a look of 'Cor, I can't believe that's Molly...thank god I was adopted.'."

I shake my head, "So, James huh?" Trying to change the conversation.

Instantly she goes a deep red and sinks deeper into the chair. "Yeah, he seems nice, can't believe you didn't mention him more." She starts fiddling with the cuff of her shirt.

"Mmm hmm." I say sitting down beside Mimi after starting a fire for us in the grate. "I am so sure."

"Ok," Maddy sits up crossing her legs underneath herself. "He's kind of really brilliant isn't he?"

Mimi smiles brightly, that girl just loves love, "He seems very taken with you, my dear." She smiles over at Maddy.

"Ya think?" Wow, I don't think I have ever seen Maddy unsure of herself before. Now, here was a girl who did have boys, especially all the boys from St. Cornelius, the boys school over the county from us, throwing themselves at her and she not only turned them down but who stomped all over their hearts like it as no big deal. Saying boys our age weren't worth her time or effort. Now here she was fawning over my cousin who was a year younger than us to top it off!

"Oh definitely," I add, somewhat reserved. James may not be my favourite cousin but he certainly seemed to have gotten Maddy's attention. I made a secret pact with myself that if he did anything I thought was suspect or even hinted that he might be able to break Maddy's heart I would beat the living tar out of him. Magic or not. Maddy looked at me, "I haven't seen him pay that much attention to anything that didn't have a good possibility of exploding, so I think it's safe to say he is interested."

Maddy took a deep breath, "Yeah, he seems pretty... fit." She nods looking up.

"So you like, properly like him? Like properly?" Mimi prompted. Out of the three of us she was most likely to swoon over a boy, coming back to school after every summer, with at very least one new crush, if not two or three, Miriam was the romantic of the group. Jane Austen was her best friend. And to be swept away by a knight in shining armour was truly her dream. So I guess for her to have us both interested in guys would be like amazing for her.

Maddy shrugged noncommittally, picking at the rip half way down the thigh of her jeans. "I dunno Mimi, it's not like I'm gonna propose to him or anything, but yeah he seems alright." She looks at our good friend and follows with, "So how bout you then?"

"What?" Mimi answers like she truly doesn't know what Maddy is getting at.

"I thought Fred and Louis were going to pull out duelling pistols to get your attention, they kept talking over each other, it wasn't very subtle, if I was you I would tell them to both shove off, till they wanted to act like men."

I nod in agreement with Maddy even though I am pretty sure Mimi would never in a million years do that, "Do you think they were?" She asks scrunching her nose, a look of hesitation on her face. Like she daren't believe it was possible that two guys could possibly battle for her affections.

"Oh without question and Fred isn't really the competitive type, so I mean, he must really be interested to try and beat out Louis." I say nodding at my friend.

Mimi looks at me with this real look of self doubt, like she didn't want to trust me even though I had no reason to lie. "Ya think?" It makes me sad to think my best friend believes that it is completely unrealistic that two good looking, interesting guys could be into her. I wish she could see what we see.

I roll my eyes, "Yes Miriam! I DO think!"

Maddy gets up and sits down right in front of the fire. "Do you think we would lie to you?"

Mimi glances at Maddy, "Well..."

"Trust me, Fred was dying to have you all to himself, and the fact that Louis even bothered to try and beat him out for your attention is saying something. Louis doesn't usually bother with girls."

"Well, would he have too?" Miriam says shaking her head in wonderment, "He's so good-looking, I mean he could probably snap his fingers and any girl in the world would be at his beck and call. I can't imagine what he sees in me."

"Oh I don't know Mimi," Maddy starts in a harsh tone. I look at our friend. Madeline has a tendency to use tough love quite frequently and in the past it hasn't gone over so well with Miriam, who was definitely a gentler spirit. "Maybe it's because your beautiful, and blonde, and cheerful, and polite, and patient, and attractive? Geez, give yourself a bit of credit. About bloody time boys started fighting over you." I smile at Maddy, couldn't have said it better myself.

I look at Mimi and she turns to me and asks what I have been dreading since we got back to the tent, "Alright then Molly, spill the beans, tell us about them! Go on! We obviously need to know at this point."

Here is the tricky thing. Right now, these are infatuations. But we _are_ here all summer and I have seen flings turn to more than that in less time, so if I play my cards right, ya never know. Might have a cousin-in-law in the making sitting right in front of me. So how much do I tell? Am I brutally honest and give them the 100% gods honest truth? Do I sugar coat it all so they think the boys are the best ever and possibly lead them like lambs to the slaughter?

I take a deep breath, I decide to go the middle of the road and compromise. I don't want to tell them anything that is going to make them spit on the guys tomorrow morning, and ruin that awesome high you get from a new crush but at the same time I didn't want them to be blindsided by certain behaviours.

"Ok, well, let's see. Louis." Mimi nods look excited, "Well, he's a bit of a ladies man."

"We picked up on that," Maddy said rather dryly. I look at her, interested that she didn't seem to be taken in by Louis's looks that were far from just physical.

"How could he not be? Looking the way he does I mean," Mimi said looking at Maddy.

"Anyway," I interrupt since Maddy was about to say something back to Mimi and it didn't look like it was going to be the nicest. "He hasn't really dated anyone seriously...ever, but he is a very nice guy. Loves his family and seems very dedicated to becoming a potion master at St. Mungo's, so big humanitarian points there."

"He can't be that perfect." Maddy scoffs.

"Have you seen him?" Mimi asks, as if that is enough. Maddy simply rolled her eyes.

"Well, like I said, he hasn't ever had a real girlfriend." Mimi's face fell, "But maybe he hasn't met the right one yet, that's all." She seems placated by this. Maddy glanced at me and I shook my head ever so slightly. "Then there is James." I say pretending to look all mysteriously at Maddy.

She laughs, "Let me guess, totally whack job?"

Now I laugh, "Depends on you definition!" I tease.

"Molly!" Mimi snapped. Always the peace keeper, even though Maddy and I are only joking.

"No, I'm kidding, of course I am kidding." I start thinking about James and feeling actually a bit stumped, I shrug, "I dunno, James is James." Maddy raises an eyebrow.

"That sounds cryptic," She sighs, pushing her long hair out of her face.

"No, I mean- hmm, so he has always been a bit of a trouble maker, but nothing awful. He just doesn't do well with authority."

Maddy smiles, "So far so good,"

I chuckle, "Uh, he's had a couple girlfriends but nothing too serious to the best of my knowledge, he definitely doesn't have Louis'…." I hesitate feeling Mimi's eyes on me, "Track record, shall we say."

"Track record for what?" Mimi asks brow furrowing.

"Uh, casual acquaintances?" I offer.

"He's a slut Mimi," Maddy says bluntly.

"Well, slut might be a bit rich." I scoff as Mimi goes deep red and seems to fold in on herself, "I mean he is half french after all."

"Not making a strong case here, Molly." Maddy says raising an eyebrow. God I forgot about Maddy and the French. Bloody Hell this was a lot of work.

"Anyway, moving on. Fred!" I say clapping my hands together. Finally a cousin I don't have to sugar coat so much and I notice a little grudgingly that Mimi doesn't seem nearly as interested in what I have to say about him as she was about Louis. "He's great!" I say, why not start big? Get her attention. "He did really well in school, he works summers in his dad's shop, this is the first year he hasn't since he was fourteen actually. He has a number of Quidditch try outs for a bunch of professional teams booked next month, so you know he's probably going to be a professional athlete. Plus he is really funny and nice."

Mimi glances at me looking a little sulky, "Is he a slut too?" She asks in a morose tone.

I feel a bit defensive, Fred being one of the few cousins I actually grew up with, "No! Actually Fred was dating a daughter of the friend of the families, Alice Longbottom. They dated since Fred was fifteen and she was fourteen."

"What happened to her?" Maddy asked, "Swallowed by a dragon or something."

"Uh no," I say shaking my head, "They broke up at the end of last year. Not really sure why, I think they both realized that after school, things would change for them. I think what with Alice going into her seventh year of Hogwarts and Fred will be travelling so much with quidditch…." I shrug again.

"So he just wants to be single when he's out playing this quidditch thing?" Mimi asks disparagingly.

"No!" I snap back, "I don't know the intimate details about his dating history, Mimi, I'm just saying at least he has managed a commitment for longer than a week." I slouch back in to the couch. This was going to be a long summer.


	17. Mornings

_Chapter Sixteen: Mornings_

 _MADELINE_

I hear Molly get up and leave the tent. She had warned us we may want to get up early if we wanted to shower in the house. Otherwise there will definitely be a line. Mimi and I both agreed to say fuck it this morning and sleep in. However, I still end up awake.

I roll on my back and look at the roof of the tent above me. Billowing canvas material that is playing slightly in the morning breeze. I wonder how it is possible that I am looking at about as much material over my bedroom as the whole tent was made of from the outside. Oh right… magic. It's too weird to wrap my head around sometimes. The physics are completely staggering.

I yawn and rub a hand over my face. I glance at my watch and notice its almost six. Instantly I roll on my side and grab the old school black rotary phone on the bedside table and pull it onto the bed with me so I don't have to get out from beneath the covers. Instantly I notice, even though the phone is ancient there is no cord coming out of the back of it.

 _'Uh…."_ I gingerly pick up the reciever and put it to me ear and sure enough there is a dial tone. "Jesus H…."

I shake my head and go a head a dial a number I have long since memorized.

It rings twice then, like clockwork a female voice answers, "Wakefield Correctional, how may I direct your call?"

"Prisoner 39712, please."

"Name?"

"Madeline Evangeline Clyde-Jones."

"ID number?"

"73490."

"One moment please." She puts me on hold. Musiak comes on. I wonder if they have to listen to this crap in their cells. Ugh now that would just be cruel and unusual punishment.

Suddenly there is the gravelly voice on the other end of the line, "Good morning sweetheart!"

"Hi dad!" I say into the phone unable to stop from smiling just from hearing his voice.

"Didn't expect to hear from you for a few days pet. Hope it isn't deadly boring or something…. they aren't in a cult are they?"

I laugh, "Ha! No, but I was worried about that."

"Were you?" He chuckled, "Great minds eh? So how was the first night?"

"Chaotic, theres tons of them dad,"

"Really?"

"Oh you have no idea, Molly has five uncles and four aunts and like a million cousins, ugh it's total madness but its kinda brilliant. Her grandparents are really nice."

"Well, I am sure you will have them wrapped round your little finger in no time." He chuckles.

"I dunno about all that but it is nice out here in the country."

"Thats good, you fill your lungs with that good country air. Send some to me in the post." When I was young I used to sent dad a bunch of stupid things, like sand from the beach when Aunt Frannie took me to Dover, or the stuffing out of the only pillow I would use. I mean I was fourteen, honestly I carried on like I was five…. but it's still hard. I go quiet thinking about sending my father a package of fresh air, something he hasn't had in over four years now. Something he will most likely never have again. "Aww go on there love, whats the best part of it?" He coaxes me back into conversation with a gentle tone.

"Ugh, well, Molly's gran is like a proper cook. My god dad it was all I could do not to shovel it back!"

"Oh?" He chuckled, "What was stopping you?" He probed.

I roll my eyes and play with the seam of my top quilt. "Well, actually... one of Molly's cousins is rather..." I trail off not quite sure what to say to my dad about a boy. We have never had this conversation before, come to think of it.

"Oh is he?" He teased knowing exactly what I am getting at, "Or is it a she? Both are totally fine with me." He uses a matter of fact tone.

"Dad!" I say, sitting up in bed rather surprised he would think I was a lesbian, or be ok with it if I was for that matter.

"Well, I just need you to know love, that whatever you do it is your life and I want you to be happy with whom ever you choose to be with."

I stare at the phone receiver as if it has just grown two heads, "Uh whats all this then, going for progressive parent of the year are we?"

He laughs, "No, I am listening to some books on tape I got from Chapman, down the hall. It's about supporting your children in a modern age, becoming responsible and well adjusted adults." When telling me the subject matter his voice goes a bit sing song-y.

I can't help but giggle, "You want me to be responsible?"

"Well, a man can hope." He goes quiet for a moment, "I want better things for you than what I had, I didn't work so bloody hard all my life for you to end up in a place like this." I know what he means, I can practically see his eyes climbing the walls of his cell.

"Dad?" I ask, I know we only have about five minutes left before the line will spontaneously go dead.

"Yes, lovie?"

I take a deep breath and roll my eyes, " _His_ name is James."

My dad goes quiet for a second, "James... well, that a good, strong name. A man's name. Is he good too you?"

"Dad! We only just met yesterday, he may not even be that interested." That's a lie, I know he is, but somehow I don't want to admit that out loud. He's the only guy I have ever really truly ...how would you put it, fallen for at first sight? I dunno, I don't want to jinx anything.

"Well, if he isn't than he's daft. And if he doesn't treat you the way you deserve he's an even bigger idiot. You make sure you keep him in line, sweetheart."

I smile into the receiver, "I will, dad."

"Good, that's good. Now look you take care of yourself, keep your fingers crossed about those schools and you let me know as soon as you hear alright?"

"Promise." I lie.

"Good, I love you Madeline."

"I love you too daddy." I say in a small voice and the line goes dead. Slowly I hang up the receiver, then lie back down letting my quilt cover me up and hide me from my own reality.

MOLLY

I step out of the still rather hot bath and pull the plug. You may not get a long time in the bathroom at my grandparents house but the time you do get is fantastic. They have this big old brass claw foot tub, that is so deep you can soak right up to your chin. I always think about my Gran struggling to keep the boys in the tub when they were little. Probably trying to get three done all at once. Water and bubbles flying everywhere. I smile to myself as I watch the big pearly bubbles disappear as the water drains.

My Gran every year at Christmas always gives me the best toiletries that are magical and will still work if I use them, like bubble baths and hair products. She surprised me with this bath oil this morning. When I came in through the back door in to the kitchen she was already up starting to get breakfast going and slipped me the tiny bottle.

"Don't tell the other girls, but I thought you might like this one, it's a very nice rosy smell." She winks as she slips it in my hand.

It's not that I am my Gran's favourite. Despite what my sister may believe. I don't think my grandmother is even able to have a favourite. I know because I used to watch her, watch her when she looked at her children, her grandchildren, her new daughters and son in law. She looks at everyone with this amazing love in her eyes. It practically glows from them. And it doesn't matter whether she looks at me or Fred or Dominique or Albus, she looks at us all the same, never does that love flicker or dull. So I know she doesn't love me more than any of my cousins, but I do think she has a soft spot for me. It could be that I am her namesake (big shoes to fill by the way, my grandmother is an incredible woman, who truly lives an extraordinary life) or it could be that I am a squib. I have never really known which and I don't think I want to know.

The way it is right now, I don't get the feeling she is pitying me, when she does nice things. And I can't really explain why I feel that way. Maybe it is because my Grandmother isn't the kind of woman who has time for too much self indulgence or pity for something that isn't truly awful. Maybe it is just because I am named after her, but what ever it is I am glad it is there. It makes being a squib easier to know I haven't disappointed her too much. When ever they came to visit or Lucy and I came out to the Burrow, she always wanted to know about my life and what it was like. She wanted to understand about what it was like to live like a muggle, and the more interesting ways then what Granda was interested in. He was asking me questions about computers when I was twelve. Boring! I am glad my father named me after my Gran, I think it was one of the greatest gifts he could have given me.

I wipe the steam from the mirror and let my hair out from the towel and it cascades down around me. I understand why they named me after Gran, I look the spitting image of her when she was my age. I have her wavy deep red hair, her same long pointy nose, plus her figure which was not the greatest gift in some ways. Having a full chest at age thirteen is a curse let me tell you. Now it isn't so bad, I guess. I may have something else to say about it when I am forty though. Oh well. I look at my eyes. Those, those I got from my parents. Big, round and light brown like my mum, and terrible eyesight from my father. I take the horn rimmed glasses off the shelf in the bathroom.

I remember when I was about to leave for St. Marge's that first year, father gave me his Hogwarts trunk. _"I think you should have this_." I remember looking at him, with astonishment. " _You should take something familiar with you. Important to remember your family, have a bit of home with you."_ I think he felt bad at the idea of me being all alone at school. He never went to school without having his siblings around him. I remember asking him about the crest on the front, what to say if someone asks about it, " _It's so battered and worn I wouldn't be concerned about it._ " He said rubbing his hand over the well used trunk. _"But if anyone asks say I did a few years abroad in Eastern Europe, no one will know the difference_." I opened the trunk to start packing and found an old set of frames in the bottom of it.

I took them out and held on to them. It was like having a piece of him with me all the time, having his controlled, steady voice in my ear reminding me who I am, where I came from, and where I was going was going to be alright. The first year I went to St. Marge's I wore them with no glass, by my second I need a prescription anyway, so no one every realized the difference.

I grabbed my jeans and yanked them on and a bra and a big baby blue baggy sweater that was a pale blue loose knit. I wore it so much the sleeves had stretched past my hands, and the right shoulder would always sagged down but it was so comfy I couldn't bare to part with it. Every time mother saw it she would ask me to let her fix it, "A quick charm and it could be good as new," She always tempted, but I always said no. I liked it the way it was.

Wet hair hanging in my face, I grab my towels to take down to Gran, and my bag of bathroom things and swing open the bathroom door only to find someone attached to the door handle.

Teddy.

He swung in a little with the door, like he hadn't been expecting it to open at all, and ended up almost running right into me.

"Oh gosh, sorry..." I can't help but trail off. There he is standing about a foot taller than me, hair almost the exact same shade as my sweater. Dragon's tooth necklace around his neck, a new chain that hung lower (must have been hidden last night by his shirt) with what looked like a Buddha hanging from it. He had those tied prayer bracelets you get in the far East cluttering his one wrist and a thick black leather cuff on the other, and a towel wrapped around his waist, only the towel, being held up by one hand.

It takes everything I have to not let my chin hit the floor. My god, he was perfect looking. His body looked like it had been chiseled from marble. Just muscle and sinew. I could literally do my laundry on his abs, if I had any idea how to clean laundry that way. He has three enormous gnarly scars across his side, they look like they go from his front rib cage around to his back on his left side. Which is interesting on account of the fact that usually magic can heal most wounds without scars. He must have wanted it left like that, maybe that was why his burn on his arm wasn't healed properly either. Uncle Charlie was covered in scars, said it was the mark of a true Dragon handler, and Uncle Harry always said Scars can be surprisingly useful, so it isn't totally a surprise to see them on Teddy. For some reason I don't think Victorie would be happy about the idea of Teddy being riddled with scars though. I think they are amazing.

Teddy smiles at me again, and I must say it is a truly awesome smile. And I mean that, his smile is in fact awe inspiring. Maybe the girls are right, but then again I think all his smiles are this radiant so I can't be an impartial judge. "Wow, here I thought I was getting ahead of everybody." He glances down at the towel riding rather low on his hips, "Obviously," He says the word on a laugh and I could just melt.

"Oh you know, early bird gets the worm." Did I literally just say that? Oh my god, I sound like my father. I shouldn't be allowed to speak for myself.

"I can see that," He says smiling at me taking in my damp hair and looking me over, god his eyes are like laser beams, anywhere they look I feel like I could just burst into flames. He glances at my sweater. Just a glance not a leery long look at my chest, which is nice...and quite rare. "Nice colour," He teases.

"Ha! Thanks," I take a deep breath and realise I am standing in the middle of the bathroom, not really letting him in, just sort of staring at him. "Oh god, sorry. Here, I'll get out of your way." I walk around him, but he doesn't really make any effort to get out of my way and we end up being very close to each other as I squeeze through the doorway. I would swear I can feel his breath on my right shoulder as I walk by.

"No worries," He says casually as I scoot by, my breath locked up in my throat. I stumble a bit when I reach the hallway as my toes catches on the carpet.

"Right," I say over my shoulder, blushing horrifically.

"Molly," I look up when he says my name, as if I have never actually heard someone say my name properly before. "It's good to see you. It's been too long." His eyes have this intense darkness too them when he speaks making me go all wobbly in the knees.

I stare at him, considering most of our interactions have me looking like a blithering idiot, I can't imagine what would possibly make him say that, but then at the same time I figure, there must be something about me he likes at least in the tiniest way, otherwise why say it. Why not just slam the bathroom door in my face?

I take a deep breath and smile, which instantly makes him smile too, his eyes brightening right up. That really is funny, "Thanks, you too." I go to walk down the hall and suddenly at the top of the first landing I turn back to the bathroom, "Teddy?" I was almost sure he had already closed the door-probably the reason why I called him back-but then there his head was sticking out the doorway.

"Yeah?" He asks, looking at me expectantly.

"Catch up later?" I find my mouth moving and the words coming out with absolutely no idea where them came from.

He smiles at me and I can't help but find it truly amazing that I don't just pass out and fall right down the stairs, "Sounds good," He winks...at me! "I'll find you later."

"Perfect," I say and then as if on order my feet carry me down the first flight of stairs at a reasonable rate, and I know he is watching me because it is ages before I hear the bathroom door click shut.

As soon as it does, I go to take off down the stairs at a rip roaring pace, and my warning shot should have been tripping on the hall carpet, but nope, instead my one foot literally catches the back of my other legs and I bail down the last three steps of the landing, literally smashing into a family heirloom of a full suit of armour covered in dust and cobwebs. The racket is unbelievable and I instantly want to pitch myself over the edge of the landing, if it were only higher than two floors till the living room.

The worst, as I try to untangle myself if the clamour I hear and look up to see Teddy, still in only a towel mind you, run out of the bathroom and look down at me, concern all over his face. Please, please, let the floor open up and swallow me whole. "My god, Molly are you alright," He practically jumps down the six stairs that I couldn't even walk down and is instantly beside me crouching on my left side.

"Oh I am fine, if only I could tell my coordination that, sometimes one foot in front of the other is even too much to ask." I grumble pulling my sweater down of the armours knee-guard thing were it caught and pulled. Damn.

"Are you sure you aren't concussed?" He asks looking right into my eyes one hand under my chin, making me hold eye contact.

"No, no, I think I am fine." I mumble sounding rather breathy.

"You're sure?" He very gently moves my hair out of my eyes and I just know I could faint right there. That's when I notice, his hand on my hair... his hand on my chin. My eyes dart down and then right back up to the ceiling.

"Um Teddy?"

"What is it Molly? Feeling light headed, nauseous? White lights?"

'Well, yes, but not from the fall,' I think, but instead I say, "You dropped your towel."

He looks down, "Oh god." And dives for the towel, poled around his feet. I can't help it and a giggle, half way a snort escapes me. And he looks up a slight blush on his cheeks. "Are you laughing at me?" He asks.

I smile and try really hard not to laugh, but I barely get through "No, not at all," before I burst out laughing all together. He smirks and pretty soon sits back and starts to laugh as well.

Suddenly from the next landing up we hear Uncle George shout down, "What the bloody hell is going on down there?! Do any of you know what an ungodly hour it is?"

Then Aunt Hermoine, "Is everything all right?"

Then my dad, "What's happening down there?"

I shake my head, "Nothing, its fine! Go back to bed!" I holler up at them. I look back at Teddy who is standing and offering me his hand. I take it. His hand envelopes mine and he literally lifts me like I weigh nothing. "Thanks," I say smiling, trying not to imagine how deep red I must be.

Teddy smiles at me, he rubs my arm, "Anytime, best way to start the day is by flashing someone."

I laugh, "I will just have to go ahead and take your word for that." He smiles at me and looks into my eyes rather expectantly. I can only look back at him. Suddenly I am aware of just how long its been since we have been standing there and I shake my head, breaking eye contact, "Uh shower?" I prompt.

"Oh," He blinks and glances back at the bathroom, "Oh right, thanks. Talk later Molly." He dashes up the stairs into the bathroom, without looking back this time.

I stand rooted to the spot for a good five-seconds before taking off down the stairs.

 **JAMES**  
My eyes open when Teddy gets up. Our tent is an old one and only has two bedrooms, so I am sharing this one with Ted and Fred and Louis are in the other. At first I thought it was ludicrous to give one of the best tents to Molly and her friends but now I am relieved they have one of the better ones. I roll over onto my back and rub a hand over my face.

"What time is it?" I groan at Teddy.

"Mmm, like six thirty."

"Oh my god why are awake?" I roll back onto my stomach.

"I wanna shower, its been nearly eight months since I've had hot water. I don't want to wait any longer." He said kicking the end of my bed. "Plus some of us have better things too do than sleep their life away."

"I am recharging," I mumble into my pillow.

"Whatever mate," Teddy stepped out of the tent and I started to dose back to sleep when I started to think about Maddy.

Now she is interesting. Really interesting. Even for a muggle. First off, she is totally gorgeous. Her long dark hair with the vibrant red and purple in it, that was different, girls in Hogwarts never wore their hair like that...unless it was a spell gone wrong. Her face was all angles, high defined cheekbones, perfectly angled nose, sharp jawbone. Her skin looked like the softest caramel suede almost, like it almost had a shine on it. She had long limbs and a long torso, making her look like a good runner, actually she did have a runners body, all thin and tight muscle. A tingle shoots down my spine, right through my body, as I think of rubbing my hands over that soft skin. My mouth goes dry and I roll over and blink. Damn, now I was properly awake.

Her heavy black eyeliner, wrapped around her big hazel eyes that almost looked violet. They are all I can see in front of my eyes. Damn she's got me all twisted.

I swing my legs over the edge of my bed and search for a pair of pajama bottoms on the floor of the tent. Grabbing them I pull them on and stand up to stretch. I slouch through into the sitting room, scratching my stomach.

I look around, the fire has gone out, and there are no noises out of Fred and Louis room. I walk across and stick my head through the flap they have as a door. "You lot awake."

Fred just grunts at me. Louis looks at me over the comforter blinking, "What time is it?"

"Quarter to seven."

"Oh piss of James," I dodge the pillow that is thrown at me.

"Come on boys, new day! Up and attam,"

"Just cause your too horny to sleep doesn't mean the rest of us can't. Go talk to Madeline, maybe she can help you catch a few more zzz's." Louis grumbles pulling the comforter over his head again.

I open my mouth to argue but then a brilliant idea pops into my head, "Brillitant!" Your brilliant Louis!" I turn and dash to the front of the tent, fairly sure I here Louis mumbling, "Yes, I know." I pull on my trainers and literally sprint to the house.

I barrel through the back door into the kitchen making Gran jump about a foot in the air.

"Oh my god! James! What's wrong!?" She scalds me, clutching her chest.

I take the moment to take a few deep breaths and smile at her, "Nothing, nothing, why would something be wrong?"

She narrows her eyes, "Because you have that look on your face, and I don't think I have seen you out of bed before noon since you were about thirteen."

I scoff and wave a hand at her, "Just excited to be surrounded by the family is all. Gran?"

She looks at me like she has been expecting this, "Yes, James?" She crosses her arms.

"Just wondering... any tea is ready?" I say trying to sound innocent walking across the kitchen and kissing her on the cheek, while stealing a piece of bacon off the plate behind her.

"I have two pots steeping right now, should be ready in a couple of minutes." She turns back to the cook top and I quickly shove the bacon in my mouth.

I quickly swallow, "Well, I was thinking, I would just grab one of the pots and take it to the girls, help them wake up a bit."

She turns on her heel again and looks at me, "Why?"

I shrug, "Because I want to be a good cousin and make Molly's friends feel welcomed."

She narrows her eyes, "James Sirius Potter, if you harass any of those poor visiting girls I will have you hanging from the weather vane."

I put both hands over my heart as if I have been stabbed, "Gran! Honestly, who do you think I am? I mean Louis, yes I can understand but me, I am just trying to be a thoughtful host."

"Thoughtful Host?" She scoffs, "Yes, and I was born yesterday, don't think you can pull the wool over my eyes that easily young man." I slip my wand out of the back pocket on my pajama pants and flick it behind my back, The teapot resting on the counter under it's cosy, behind Gran lifts into the air silently. "I am telling you James, you be nice to your cousins friends, it was positively lovely that they came with her, amidst all of our lot, and the last thing they need is to have you pestering and harassing them."

I move over to my Gran and put my hands on her shoulders, subtly turning her so she can't see the teapot hover over to the backdoor. "Gran, I promise I'll be a perfect gentleman, just like dad." I pop a kiss on her forehead and go to run out the backdoor.

"James!" I stop on the stoop and look over my shoulder. She flicks her wand and a plate of fresh scones flies at me with her famous home made jam in a small dish beside them, "Takes these, they will go well with the tea." She smiles as I grin back at her.

"Thanks Gran!" I march off towards the tent with the teapot and scones leading the way, as I glance back I see her smiling to herself, shaking her head.

I walk up to the tent and pop my head through the flap. "Anyone up?" Suddenly Madeline looks out her room and sees me, she looks surprised.

"Morning," She walks out of her room, in bright, pink fleece pajama bottoms and what looks like a black sports bra. I feel my mouth hang open but I can't seem to control myself. Her body is even more magnificent that I thought, her belly button has a golden piercing hanging from it, a little ruby sitting against her flat stomach. She has a tattoo curling around her ribcage just under her bust on the right of her torso. It reads EAST for life, the EAST in big gothic letters, the for life in a flowy script that wrapped around the words like ivy. I also notice another tattoo on the top of her left arm, its and old looking one, a heart with a dagger through it, and banner rolling over the image reading Father Knows Best. She stares at me as she pulls her hair up into a pony tail, "Wanna come in?"

"Uhh, yeah," I stumble in and the teapot and scones follow me, but because I am not paying them as much attention the teapot bumps into my back. "Oh son of a -" I leap forward as the hot liquid scalds me as it splashes out the spout a bit.

She chuckles coming over to look at the teapot in mid air and the scones. Her eyes are huge as she moves a hand back and forth over the tea pot. "Are you ok?" She chuckles not that concerned because she can't take her eyes off the floating dishes.

"I'll survive." Normally it would erk me she wasn't a bit more genuinely concerned, I mean that could have been a bad scalding. But its hard to be irritated because she looks so fascinated by the floating tea pot, and so... Well, blown away.

"I just can't get over all this," She says glancing back at me, her face is lit up with an excitement like a little girls.

I smile at her, something tells me she isn't usually like this, usually she is more reserved or something. "Watch this," I put my hand on her lower back and guide her over to the settee. The tea pot and scones and jam float over and settle themselves on to the coffee table gently.

There is a vase of fresh cut flowers on the table and I point to them. "Which is your favourite?" I ask her pointing at the flowers.

She looks at me then the flowers, "Uh I guess the roses." I lean over and grab two roses out of the vase. I snap off the stems and place the blooms on the table. Cracking my knuckles I pull my wand back out from my pocket. "Wow," She whispers, "Is that a wand?"

I smile, I forget just how little muggles actually know, "All 11 inches of it. Chestnut, dragon heartstring in the core."

"Dragon? Wow, is that like super powerful?" She asks eye huge.

I consider lying, making myself sound like a real badass wizard or something but instead I find myself shaking my head, "No," I say shrugging, "Pretty normal actually."

She raises her eyebrows, "Yeah, sure normal."

I smile, "Watch," I hold my wand over the roses and turn the tip in little circles and pull up. Silent magic was always easy for me, since we very started learning it.

"Holy mother..." The rose buds are pulled up and outwards, their petals turn into thin china of teacups, the green leaves at the base of the bud flattening out into saucers. Madeline looks at me and then back at the tea cup before very gently picking it up and looking at it closely. "This is actually a teacup, James."

I nod taking in the wonderment on her face, "Yeah it is," I say smiling.

"Wow," She gently puts the cup down and shakes her head, she glances at me looking bashful all of a sudden, "I must sound like such a total loser to you, but I mean this is all just so... crazy." She says looking at me.

"I bet," I lean back on the settee stretching an arm over the back so if she sits back she can nestle right in beside me, however right now she is literally on the edge of her seat. "How was the rest of your guys night?"

She picked up the teapot and poured tea into the two cups. "It was good, hard to calm down after everything, we talked a lot." She handed me my cup and turned herself on the settee and pulled her legs up underneath herself so she was sitting cross legged facing me.

"Mainly about me I hope," I tease, she snickers.

"Maybe," She says smiling coyly as she takes a sip of the tea. She can catch me a little off guard sometimes. Everytime I expect her to rebuff me or snap or something she doesn't she just goes along or flirts back.

I just blink at her for a second before I shake my head, "Your up early." I state the bleeding obvious like an idiot. That was the best I could say, what is wrong with me? Somehow, my normal lines, I dunno, they just seem stupid to say to Madeline.

She nods, "Yeah, I wanted to call my dad, I'm not sure how often I will be able to this summer, so I try to get the calls in where I can."

"Where is he? Right now...with the army? That's what its called right?" I ask trying to rack my brain about what she said about her father.

She looks up at me from her tea eyes huge. She opens her mouth but nothing comes out, like she is struggling with something. I am struck by just how amazingly perfect she looks sitting there. Like just perfect. I find myself moving forward on the sofa closer to her and I am instantly aware of the fact she doesn't move backwards.

"What's up?" I ask getting still closer. We are about a foot away, there is a strand of hair on the right side of her face hanging lower than the rest of her fringe. What the hell, thowing caution to the wind I reach up and put the hair behind her ear. I feel her tremble as my fingertips graze the top of her cheekbone as I move the hair. My hands finds it was to the nape of her neck and I find myself moving closer. God I only met her yesterday and it is like this girl has bewitched me. Ironic I could think that about a muggle.

We are about a breath away from each other, She looks into my eyes, moving herself closer to me now, "James," She whispers and I can feel her breath roll over my lips and that is about it, I feel like I am going to explode if I don't kiss her this instant.

And that is right when Molly barrels into the tent, "OH MY GOD! You guys are not going to believe what just happened to me in the house with-" She stops when she sees us, Madeline pulls right away from me, pursing her lips and smiling at Molly. I hang my head. Honestly can't a guy catch a break.

Molly has this grindylow in the head lights look on her face looking between the two of us. "Hello you two?" She says awkwardly as Madeline smiles at her.

"Morning Molly!" Madeline says cheerfully, "James brought us up tea." She offers what was supposed to be my cup to Molly.

"Did he? So nice of him," She looks at me and I can see the suspicion in her eyes. Honestly what do all my female family members think of me? It isn't like I am like Louis, sure, girls have thrown themselves at me since about third year when I hit my growth spurt, but is that my fault? It isn't like my bedpost is covered with notches. It isn't my fault if girls find me irresistible.

"I try," I say sending a grimacing smile in Molly's direction.

"So what happened?" Madeline asked intently looking at Molly and not me anymore.

Molly, who had been glaring at me, looked over at Madeline, "What?" Blinking.

Madeline waved her hand expectantly, "You just said we wouldn't believe what just happened to you... in the house...with...?"

Molly goes red and looks at me, "Oh right. That. I'll tell you later." She says sinking into an arm chair and sipping from what was supposed to be my tea.

We sit quietly...awkwardly for about five seconds before I leap up, unable to stand it anymore. "Alright, well, I am gonna go get dressed, see you fine ladies at breakfast." I nod to both of them and then get the hell out of there shaking my head, so close but so far.


	18. Waking up a Dursley

**A/N:** hello everyone! Would like to say a big thank you to **Abbi** and **Violet Day** for being my first reviews! Love the feed back, and hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters! (Violet, send me a private message and I am sure we can set something up :) ) alright all get ready for more! Enjoy! -Cat

 _Chapter Seventeen: Waking up a Dursley_

 _MIRIAM_

I wake up to voices in the sitting room, grab my big plush house coat and wrap it around myself and stumble out, blurry eyed, hair a mess. I find Molly and Madeline just looking at the front flap on the tent.

"What's going on?" I say amidst yawning. Molly and Maddy both jump and turn to look at me. Molly is sitting in her beat up old blue sweater, which now has a really bad pull on the one arm and jeans. Her hair wet from I guess a shower? Maddy is still in her pj's, bright pink bottoms and a sports bra.

Molly smirks at me glancing back at Maddy, "You are _never_ gonna believe who just left here, half naked."

I rub a hand over my eyes, "I dunno who?" I sit on the floor beside the table and look and what is sitting before me, "Oh, are these scones for us?" Molly nods.

"He wasn't half naked, he just didn't have a shirt on," Maddy says shrugging.

I look at her and blink, "That's half naked Maddy," Molly says scoffing.

I look between them, "Oh god, not James." I say shaking my head, spreading the jam on a scone.

"What?" Maddy snaps shrugging.

Molly looks at me with this very mischevious smile on her lips, "I come in from my shower at the house and I see those two," She points a finger at Maddy, "On the settee snogging."

"What?! Honestly Maddy it isn't even nine o'clock yet," I say shaking my head.

"Hey! We were not snogging! He hadn't even kissed me yet."

"Yet?" Both Molly and I say in unison.

Maddy shrugs, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth, "We didn't get the chance, someone interrupted us." She shoots a fake glare at Molly who shakes her head.

"Seeing James before ten in the morning is not good for my nerves." She says shaking her head and slouching back in the arm chair.

I chuckle, "Was his hair like normal or was he using half the oil for the modern world in it again?"

"No it was it's normal birds nest." Molly says sipping her tea.

Maddy looks between the both of us, "I think it looks cute, plus he was wearing his glasses, as well. He looks so posh in the square frames."

I pretend to vomit. Maddy rolls her eyes, "Hate all you want, you are both just jealous." She stretches out on the settee with a self satisfied look on her face and I envy her happiness, a little green monster rearing up in my chest. Maddy looks expectantly at Molly, "Well?"

"Well what?' Molly asks looking at Maddy confused.

"Well, you ruined my morning bursting in here claiming something insane happened at the house...what was it?" Maddy prompted.

"Oh," Molly says sitting up. "Oh right, oh my god I almost forgot." She literally moves to the front of her seat as she tells us, that is how excited she is. "So I am in the house, just finished my shower and I go to leave and who is holding on to the other door knob, but Teddy!"

"No!" Maddy and I both say in unison.

Molly nods with this ridiculously dopey smile on her face, "Yeah, in only a towel."

"Cor," Maddy says.

"I bet that was a sight for sore eyes," I tease Molly. She rolls her eyes. She hasn't dated any one in over a year since she broke up with her old boyfriend Frank.

"So what happened?" Maddy prompts.

"Well, we just say a few things too each other and-"

"Wait, 'a few things'? What?" I ask, "Details, Molly."

She giggles, "I don't remember exactly, it was hard to remember to breath let alone remember our conversation with him standing in front of me in a bloody towel." She shakes her head, a blush creeping up her neck on to her cheeks. "Anyway as I am leaving, I look at him and say something along the lines of we should catch up later, and he agreed!"

"No!" I gush, she nods excitedly. I can see Maddy in my peripheral vision. She looks hesitant. I hope she doesn't say something negative. She can always be a bit of a wet blanket when it comes to this stuff. I wish she could just get a bit excited about romantic things. Heavens, doesn't seem to hard for her when it involves my stupid cousin, James.

"Anyway I go to walk away, all cool and collected, and I can tell he is looking at me cause I can't here the door close then when it did, I go to run here to tell you guys everything but-" She scrunches her face up.

"But..." Maddy prompts.

"But, I fall down the stairs instead." I groan and Maddy lets out a sharp laugh before clamping a hand over her mouth. Poor Molly, I don't think I have ever met a less coordinated person. "Yup," She says nodding, "So Teddy dashes down to me to see if I am ok, and while he is crouched beside me, checking for a concussion that is when he dropped his towel."

Molly goes a deep aggressive red, and both of us burst out laughing.

"Oh my god," I manage.

Maddy looks between me and Molly, "Well..?" She teases.

Molly glances at us, pursing her lips and trying hard not to smile. I burst out giggling unable to control myself, Maddy shakes her head, "Thought he had big hands. Congrats."

Molly shakes her head, "Doesn't matter to me, Victorie will arrive today and poof, there go my day dreams." I open my mouth to say something but Molly shrugs, "get dress you guys, I am starving!" She says signalling the end of our conversation.

I shake my head and walk into my very own little bedroom. I go over to the chest of drawers where I unpacked some of my things last night and start looking through my clothes to pick something.

I think about Maddy and James...wow, my Maddy and James, ugh. Never thought I would be thinking about those two in that way. It seems surreal that this very secret part of my life, this secret person, can collide with one of the biggest most important people in my lives, and what looks like fall for each other. It seems so odd. I feel kind of like looking at her and saying, 'Really? Like really really?!' How can our Madeline, the one who would fight for us no matter what, and won't let me take crap from anyone, how can she be falling for my cousin who used to call me Porkie Morkie? They seem like they would be mutually exclusive. I guess not. Ugh!

I guess it is nice to have Madeline actually falling for someone. She never lets down her walls. I don't think I have ever heard her gush about a guy or fancy one at all, aside from the occasional unattainable professional soccer player that is; let alone date one. I blink, oh my god. I realize in all my time knowing Madeline I realize I have never seen her go on a date, and she certainly hasn't ever told us about any. I know she has a lot of male friends in London around where she lives. And I know she isn't interested in girls but I realize I've never seen her with a boy in that way.

 _'Oh my god, I wonder if she is a virgin_?!' I suddenly think. I shake my head, no way. If I am not a virgin there is no way Madeline is still a virgin at eighteen.

I look at myself in the long stand alone mirror in the corner of my small room. I feel good, I look good. I have worked very hard to get here. So many times not eating what I wanted or had as much as I wanted. All those times going for runs with Maddy or all those blasted yoga classes with Molly, when all I wanted to do was veg on the sofa with a good book. I did discover soccer during all that time exercising, and who would have guessed I am actually not half bad either. But still, when I first look in that mirror, all I can see is the very over weight little girl with bad skin. I try to look at my self and be happy with what I see but it is hard.

Even with all the girls insistence that Fred and Louis were paying attention to me last night, it still seems unreal. Like it isn't really me they are interested in. It's only because I am Molly's friend and they pity me. That they look a me and think, "Oh god, this poor wretch, how does she make it through life with those two best friends, better give her a bit of attention so she doesn't feel totally left out.'

I think about Maddy and Molly, and I instantly feel ashamed that deep down I am jealous of them, because I know they have their own stuff that they deal with. I mean poor Maddy, having a father like hers? I shiver, I can't imagine how awful that would be. Or Molly, dealing with being the only person in her whole family without magic. Let me tell you, her insecruities certainly make a heck of a lot more sense now. I can't imagine not fitting in. But at the same time, I think, at least they didn't have to be fat...

'But maybe if you weren't fat, maybe you wouldn't have had the family you have...' A very righteous voice says in my head. Which is true, maybe that was my cross to bear, because I love my family. I mean my dad loves me unconditionally, he always says I am his little princess, and no matter what I looked like he always said I looked beautiful even when I was eight and my grandmother took me for a hair cut and the lady gave me that horrendous bowl cut...ugh. My mum is lovely and nice and sweet, and maybe we aren't as close as some mother and daughters but I am sure if it was ever anything super important I could go to her. And I love D.J., even when he is being a total jerk.

I pull out a lavender dress. It is a retro style, synched in tight at the waist with a thick belt, and a knee length full pleated skirt. It has this thick gathered white halter-top style strap and is very flattering. I hold it against myself, thinking for a moment. Yup this is it. I throw on the dress, slip into some old white flip flops and quickly put my hair into a high ponytail using a piece of white ribbon.

I look at myself in the mirror, I almost look quite pretty.


	19. The Danger of a Delacour

_Chapter_ _Eighteen: The Danger of a Delacour_

 **FRED**

Breakfast is amazing. I love coming to the Burrow, Gran's cooking is simply heavenly. I mean, don't get me wrong, mum's a good cook, but she is always trying something new in the kitchen, some new cuisine or diet. One month it can be something quite nice, like Indian Tandoori or a high carb diet with tons of really good pastas and casseroles. But then it will go to the strange, like eating only what they serve in Papua New Guinea or a diet that will only allow us to each root vegetables and seafood. Its enough to make a guy starve.

I find myself paying more attention to the pancakes and sausage than to Miriam, so by the time I take my empty plate into the kitchen, I look out the window over the sink and see Miriam, laughing away with Louis, like she has never heard anything so hilarious before. I glare out the window at them.

"Are you going to let him have her then?" I jump at the sound of my mother's voice by my shoulder and look at her.

"Jesus, you scared me half to death,"

She smiles at me, "No, I think Louis is doing a good enough job of that all by himself."

I shrug trying to remain casual, " Don't know what you are talking about you silly daft woman." I tease.

She rolls her eyes putting the four plates she had gathered up from the youngest kids in the sink over mine. "Call me daft all you want, but I wasn't blind at dinner. You like this girl." Her eyes twinkle as she talks to me and I look back out the window at Miriam.

She is smiling, and her dimples rest just perfectly, delicately in her cheek. The dress she is wearing makes her look like she was pulled right out of an old vintage pin up poster. Her hair is gleaming golden in the sun, she is really quite lovely. I haven't thought of a girl like this since Alice. The thought stops my heart cold and I swallow.

My mum watches me, and I can tell she can sense my change in demeanor. She looks at me smiling, her eyes sympathetic, "It's ok to move on Fred," She puts a hand on my arm and I look at it letting her words sink in, "You can't let what happened with Alice effect the rest of your life like this. You need to have a life Fred, love someone, enjoy, have fun."

I look back out the window at Miriam, is she the girl to do those things with though? From the look she is giving Louis, she would rather being doing those things with him than me. "I don't know, may have missed my chance." I nod my head in their direction.

Mum glances and then waves her hand as if to sweep Louis away, "Don't be intimidated by Louis' charm. Its all show and pomp anyway." I look at my mother and raise an eyebrow, "Don't get me wrong, I love my nephew, but we both know who would be a better choice for Miriam to fall for." She rubs my arm before going to leave the kitchen just as my father yells, "Angelina!" From the back yard. He always seems to lost without mum. Before she walks outside she looks over her shoulder at me with a stern look, "Don't you forget it Fred!" With that she leaves me inside staring out the window.

 _MOLLY_

I am standing with Madeline and we look over at Louis talking with Miriam who seems to be all a twitter at whatever he is saying. Madeline glances at me.

"Are we sure about this?" She glances pointedly at Louis and Mimi, "About him?" Madeline has always been the protective one. Of all of us, if anything looks like it could threaten us, she is ready to take it on or take it down.

I look at her meaningfully and shrug, "I honestly don't know, Maddy."

"Well," She says with a tone that makes it sound like what ever she is about to say should be perfectly obvious, "If he isn't going to treat her well, we should show him off, quickly, before she gets hurt."

I look at Maddy and raise an eyebrow, "How do you expect to do that? He isn't going to listen to me and he isn't scared of you. In fact knowing Louis, if we tell him to stay away from her, he will only seduce her faster."

"How do you know she will let herself be seduced?" Maddy counters, glaring at Louis, even though his back was towards us.

"Come on Maddy, look at him, Louis can have what ever he wants when he wants it, it all depends on how badly he wants it." I look at them and Miriam is laughing hysterically at something he just said, "And it really doesn't look like Miriam is putting up much of a fight."

"Well, still..." She trails off.

"Still what? She's eighteen, we aren't her parents."

Maddy glances at me, "You weren't being completely honest last night were you?"

I wonder briefly if she is just talking about Louis right now or not, "I was honest but I wasn't exactly _brutally_ honest when it comes to Louis. He has been with a lot of girls, a lot. But he is usually pretty up front about what he wants. I remember one year, I went with them all to get their school supplies, and he literally said to a girl two years older than him, he wasn't interested in anything more than a fling, a one nighter, and she was more than happy to oblige, all personal dignity thrown to the sidelines." I shake my head and look at my best friend talking to who could very possibly be one of my most dangerous cousins.

We watch as suddenly Fred appears in the back door of the house and strides right over to interrupt Louis and Miriam in mid conversation. Miriam doesn't look thrilled but she also doesn't look too disappointed which I can't help but feel is a point in Fred's favour.

Maddy crosses her arms, "Well let's hope he is up for a challenge." I nod.

I look to my other side and see my Uncle Harry and Uncle Bill walking towards us. I wonder what they want.

Uncle Bill puts up a hand waving to us, "Good morning ladies!"

"Morning Uncle Bill, morning Uncle Harry." I say smiling brightly at them.

Uncle Harry smiles and tilts his head at Madeline who waves to them. "We are setting up a sort of family fun quidditch tournament in the wood and we were wondering if you and your friends would like to come and watch?" He asks politely.

Maddy's eyes light up and I know the answer before I even have to ask, "Yeah, definitely we can come and watch! It would be fun!"

"Good, the boys will bring you out to the pitch, James just went to go put on his quidditch robes, we figured one last time in the full regalia for the boys would be nice." Uncle Bill said smiling.

I nod. They both turn and jog towards the youngest of my cousins who were hurrying into the front yard for some reason.

"This is going to be so cool. Are they going to really be riding on broom sticks?" Maddy asks me grabbing on to my sleeve of my already stretched sweater.

"Oh yeah," I say smiling at her child like excitement.

"And what do the robes look like? Are they, like, really ridiculous?" I get distracted by something over her shoulder.

"Depends on what you think is ridiculous," I say feeling my stomach do a back flip. Maddy follows my line of sight and her mouth drops open.

Evidently James wasn't the only one who changed, Teddy and James both emerge from their tent in full quidittch gear. Teddy looks amazing, The knee high brown leather boots under thick shin pads, the tight white pants which I must say, never noticed before just how little they leave to the imagination, the red and gold wool sweater, tight over a broad chest, and the robe, open in the front, crimson on the outside, lined with gold, the lions crest on the right breast lapel. The robes just about an inch off the ground, sleeves looser revealing brown fingerless gloves and forearm pads out of the same brown leather.

They stride towards us, brooms in hand. "Just the woman I was looking for," James says brightly to Madeline who looks like she is struggling as much as I am. "Are you guys coming to watch us play?"

Maddy nods, "Uh yeah, your dad just asked us." She says her voice sounding all gravelly.

"Brilliant," Teddy says looking from Maddy to me, he looks right into my eyes, does he always have to do that? Why can't he be like a normal person and look elsewhere, it would make talking to him much less intimidating. "You can be our very own cheering section."

I feel swept away from his words. Which is ridiculous because nothing he said was specific to me, but somehow it made me feel singled out, like it was just meant for me.

"We will do our best," I say smiling at him back.


	20. Quidditch and One Last New Arrival

_Chapter Nineteen: Quidditch and One Last New Arrival_

 _MOLLY_

All of us spectators are sitting on these lovely plush arm chairs Gran transfigured from toad stools, settling in to what will probably be a very good match. The teams are even, with Uncle Bill as Captain of one and Aunt Ginny as Captain of the other.

I wave Mimi and Maddy to lean in so I can explain to them, "Okay so there are two teams, the ones with the white arm bands are Uncle Bill's team, he has Uncle George and Fred as beaters, Aunt Angelina, himself and Aunt Ginny as Chasers, Hugo as a Keeper and Lucy as a seeker. Uncle Harry's team have the black arm bands, his beaters are Roxanne and Uncle Charlie, himself, Teddy and James for Chasers, Uncle Ron as his keeper and Lily as seeker. Normally Uncle Harry is seeker, but I think he is excited to watch Lily play."

"Do Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny normally play against each other?" Mimi asked out of curiousity.

I shrug, "Dunno, we've never had a match like this before."

"Ok...So the chasers need to score points with the Quiffle?" Mimi asks.

"The Qu _a_ ffle," I correct.

Mimi nods, "And that is worth, ten points?"

"Yeah,"

"And the seeker tries to catch the snitch to win the game by scoring one hundred and fifty points?" Maddy asks not taking her eyes off James who is joking around with his dad and Teddy from their line on the make-do pitch.

"Well, you are right and wrong. Catching the snitch does score you one hundred and fifty points, how ever it only ends the game it doesn't win the game, so the other team can win if they have better chasers." We all turn around to see Louis standing behind Mimi's chair.

"Oh hello Louis," Mimi said breathily. I look at Maddy and she meets my glower with one of her own. I roll my eyes when I know they can't see me.

"Is this seat taken?" He asks pointing to the one on the other side of Mimi.

"No, please, be my guest."

Maddy pretends to vomit. I snicker. I look out over the pitch and see Fred looking over at us twisting his beaters club in his hands rather aggressively. There is a loud peel of a whistle blowing. I look up and burst out laughing with everyone else sitting on the sidelines along with everyone on the pitch. Granda came striding out in full referee gear. I think Gran is close to falling out of her arm chair she is laughing so hard.

"Alright you lot, I expect everyone to play fair. With Percy's help," Dad waved from Gran's other side, "we have been able to put up muggle deflecting spells…."

Maddy leans in, "Is that why you dad…" She waved a finger in front of my face, "Wanded us?" As we walked into the woods Dad had spelled both Maddy and Mimi so they would be able see everything, and wouldn't be wondering why we were sitting in the woods looking at nothing. I nod.

"...so we can play a bit higher this year. Now beaters," I notice Miriam sit up a bit straighter and look at Fred who was listening intently to Granda. "The bludgers we are using are quite old so they are less likely to fly off, same with the snitch girls," He added to Lily and Lucy. "However, beaters, this is a family game! We do not want anyone to be maimed, we aren't playing for the Quidditch Cup here."

"Oh come on old man! If someone doesn't end up at St. Mungo's it isn't a real game of Quidditch!" Uncle George called, waving his bat in the air.

Everyone chuckled, "Try your best George," Granda said shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Mimi looks at me a bit of concern clouding her features, "Do people often get hospitalized in this game."

Without thinking I nod vigorously, "Oh yeah, all the time, people have disappeared, people have died. One time Fred got hit with two bludgers at once, snapped his leg like a twig evidently, fell like thirty-five feet too. Oh or one time, when Teddy was in school, he was captain of the Gryffindor team, anyway we still aren't sure exactly what happened, I think that one of the other players tried to bewitch him, anyway, he went around the goal hoops after another chaser, came up and totally forgot what he was doing, how to fly everything," I chuckle, "Fred told me he thought he was five for like a week before Madam Pomfrey, the schools matron, could figure out what was wrong with him to set it right." I shake my head.

I look over when I get no response and see Mimi's face written over with terror, "Why on earth would they want to play this game?" She looks out over the pitch with a look of confusion.

"Yeah, honestly, sounds a bit dodgy, doesn't it," Maddy said nodding but not looking quite as concerned.

I shrug and sit back in my chair, "Because it's quidditch and it's the best."

Granda blew a warning whistle, everyone mounted their brooms, then he whistled again and they were off, kicking off hard from the ground and soaring into the air. They weren't flying as high as they would at say Hogwarts or professionally but they were still pretty high. Dad told me he had been helping Granda slowly grow the small woods tress higher over the last four months just to get ready for this game.

I watch them soaring up above us, the multitude of Hogwarts robes flashing in the sky, along with Aunt Ginny's old Holyhead Harpie uniform. I watch them swoop and soar through the sky with reverence. It truly is an amazing game.

 _MADELINE_

I watch Molly look up at the sky, watching her family members flying around like mad. The look of longing on her face is almost painful. It was the first time so far I had seen her actually look like she was missing out on something, or wanted something her family had.

I sit back in my seat and look up at them. I hadn't really given too much thought to what it was like for Molly, finding out she was going to be the only un-magical one in her family. How odd? To think you are going to be like everyone else have the same life and then find out nope, your just normal….a 'muggle'. God, couldn't they have at least come up with a better name for someone nonmagical. I don't like being referred to as a muggle, it sounds rude. Molly assured me it isn't, so did James but still it irks me.

James swoops in front of Dominique to grab the quaffle just as she was trying to pass it to Molly's mum. He dives at the ground headed straight for it. I feel my throat tighten.

"Is he going to…" I go to ask Molly but she simply puts her hand up.

"Watch," She says in an almost hollowed whisper.

I look back just in time to see James pull up on his broom, his toes ever so lightly dragging on the grass and flying along the ground until he shots up one of the hoops and scored on Hugo. "God," I whisper.

Molly chuckled, "He's showboating." She says smiling at me and rolling her eyes.

"Yes, James favourite past time." Louis says, shifting in his chair.

Oh Louis really is a treat. The more time we spend with Louis the less I like him. "You don't play?" I ask leaning in front of Molly a bit to talk over Mimi at him.

"No, not my cup of tea really."

Molly scoffs, "Louis has been afraid of heights since we were little," She shakes her head.

Louis glares at her but neither Molly or Mimi notice as they are both watching the game, heads craned back looking directly up. He meets my eyes and smiles. I look away from him. I don't get it. Molly keeps going on about Louis like he is this girl magnet who is totally irresistible. And from the way Mimi was acting you would think it is true. I don't see it. I mean yes, he is very good looking. Almost too good looking. No one should look that perfect.

The game is intense and epic, and mind blowing, basically unimaginable. Molly's uncle Bills team won, just barely. The score was two hundred to one hundred and ninety. Molly explains the only reason they won was because Lucy caught the snitch before Lily. I couldn't really keep track, before I knew what was happening they were all floating down to the ground. We all stand up on the sidelines to clap everyone on the pitch, Molly's uncle George takes a bow.

Fred, James and Teddy all walk directly towards us. My god, I think quidditch is my favourite sport just because of how good James looks in his uniform. He smiles brightly at me, sweat glistening his forehead. I can't help but grin back at him, he jogs the last few feet, "Well," He says a bit out of breath, "what did you think?"

"It was brilliant, you were brilliant." I say. I wonder if I sound as pathetic as it sounds in my head. But James just smiles back at me stretching his back.

Teddy shoves James from behind as he comes to stand beside his younger cousin, "These two always get too competitive." He lets his eyes flick between Fred and James, but his tone is teasing.

"Is that really a surprise?" Louis says.

"James!" We all look back at his mum, Ginny, "Get mum to have a look at you brow, _before_ it scars please!"

James shakes his head, that is when I notice up by his left temple there is a little blood running into his sweaty hair.

"Oh my god you're bleeding! Are you ok?" I say stepping forward, I put a hand on his shoulder to roll on to my tip toes and look at the graze closer. I also notice his jaw flex.

"Oh you know," his voice is a bit husky, "part of the game."

Teddy shakes his head and scoffs, Fred groans, "Oh go on, I barely touched you with the bludger, barely grazed you!"

I look at Fred who is smiling at his cousin, James rolls his eyes, "Ya see how they treat me." He ask looking into my eyes and I wish greatly I could give him some TLC right now.

"James!" The sharp voice over our shoulders have all seven of us turn to see their grandmother bustling over to us carrying the enormous picnic basket she had brought sandwiches and this amazing drink...some sort of beer or something, I dunno, I just know it was bloody good. "Come on now," she thrusts the picnic basket into Fred's arms, "Louis, take care of the chairs will you dear, maybe you can help Fleur and Percy with the take down of the pitch." Louis looks like he is going to argue but we all are being marched away before he gets the chance. "Honestly you two, you are as bad as your fathers!" Mrs. Weasley says to James and Fred, who both grin like they have been given the biggest compliment possible.

Mimi falls into step with Fred, "Are you all right? That looked terrible dangerous," she says and I look back over my shoulder, I can see Louis still glaring at us as he waves his wand at the armchairs making them disappear. I am happy to see Mimi not looking back at him, but only focused on Fred. He seems like a better sort of bloke.

"Oh I am fine, great fun Quidditch." Fred said smiling at her.

As we all march back to the house Teddy falls into step with Molly just behind James and I and Mrs. Weasley, I strain to ease drop.

"Did you have fun?" He asks leaning slightly down so their heads are closer together, he really is quite tall, and I notice his hair is an electric turquoise right now.

"Oh always, you played very well," she says only glancing at him briefly, her eyes darting to the ground frequently.

"God, haven't played in ages, surprised Fred didn't knock me off my broom." They both chuckle, "Do you still keep up with the leagues? I seem to remember you always having a copy of Quidditch Review Weekly under you arm or in your bag at all times,"

Molly blushes, I can see the red out of my periferal, hell I can practically feel the heat radiating off her, "No, not really, not any more. It's hard with the amount of school work I have been doing, besides I've been trying to learn some muggle sports, I've been watching rugby with Maddy and soccer with Miriam a bit, quite good, I mean it isn't in midair but still."

"Huh, I would-"

Teddy was interrupted when Mrs Weasley Sr burst out with a cry of "Victorie!" Teddy and Molly's heads snapped up, as did all of ours. And right then even my heart dropped for my best friend.

 _MOLLY_

There she is looking as stunningly beautiful as always, white blonde hair gleaming in the sun, sinewy body dashing up the yard in tight black pants and a loose white blouse. Even after a three day shift at St. Mungo's she still looked beautiful, not a hair out of place. Her bright blue eyes twinkling, even this far away. I feel slightly sick. I can feel Miriam's eyes burning into my back and Maddy's back stiffened as soon as Victorie's names was spoken.

Oh god.

She dashes up to us, "Gran!" She hugs Gran smiling brightly, "Oh I am _so_ sorry! I didn't think they would keep me that long but you know, when you are the most important apprentice." She pulls back smiling jokingly at Gran. And I know she isn't serious but I still feel slightly like throwing up.

Teddy is standing straight up beside me, his whole body tensing slightly, I glance at him out of the corner of my eyes, and he looks….unreadable. His face has a blank, possibly slightly surprised, look on it. His eyes were very dark and his hair had darkened to a very deep turquoise but that was it. But still, it was obvious he didn't look thrilled exactly.

"Oh my dear, we completely understand! We all know how hard you are working, and we are so proud of you! Imagine, the first healer in the family!" Gran gushed. She did love Victorie, well I mean she loves all of us. But she definitely has a soft spot for Victorie, after all she was her first grandchild.

Victorie looks over Gran's shoulder at Teddy. Her smile broadens and she looks genuinely happy to see him….

' _You are getting too bitter for your own good_ ,' A voice chimes across my mind. ' _Why wouldn't Victorie be happy to see Teddy? They have been together for five years. They are in love. You are trying to see something that doesn't exist.'_

As Victorie steps around Gran to see Teddy I take what I pray is a subtle step back so I am standing beside Mimi and Fred not right beside Teddy. Victorie doesn't even glance my way, and Mimi brushes a hand lightly on my arm, as if to remind me she is right there beside me, supporting me. Mimi really is a good friend.

I see Maddy standing on James' other side from Gran, she is looking Victorie up and down from behind with one eyebrow raised and a skeptical look on her face. She looks like a dog on a tight leash, ready to defend its human. Maddy is a good friend too. I smile at her and she grudgingly gives a small nod but her expression of scepticism does not go away, but it softens a bit.

"Teddy, dear!" Victorie throws herself on Teddy and he stumbles back at half step at the impact of her body on him. She wraps her arms around his neck in a hug and actually kicked up one leg, while he picked her up. Huh, I thought people only did that in movies. She pulls back a bit to give him a quick kiss before letting him go. My stomach drops to me feet, suddenly I wish I was in bed.

"Victorie, I thought your letter said you wouldn't be here till tonight?" Teddy asks, again his tone is vague. I feel someone looking at me and I look up to see James' eyes on me. His expression is intense. Like he is really trying to see something he can't quite make out, my stomach sinks further into the bedrock.

I shrug at him, twitching my head, eyes wide and innocent, as if to ask, ' _What_?' He simply rolls his eyes and looks back at the reunion in front of us all.

"Well, you know what a task master Healer Davies is, ugh just awful. But I sweet talked him into letting me out early. Meanie had me there for two days longer than he was supposed to anyway..." Victorie said trailing a finger over Teddy's chest simply beaming up at him.

Teddy's eyebrows went up, "You sweet talked him?"

She winked, "I have my ways, anyway we can catch up later." With that a brisk tap on his chest, Victorie turned and looked at the rest of us. Her eyes falling on me first. I smile. I wish she wasn't taller than me, I mean sure she was only three inches taller than my five eleven, but when you are that tall as a girl, people taller are much more noticeable. It didn't help that both our dad's were part of the tall side of the family. Why couldn't Uncle Bill be shorter and stockier?

Her face lights up into a grin when she sees me, clapping her hands, "Oh my gosh if it isn't our little Molly! God it's been years." I instantly remember why I can't stand Victorie. My chest tightens. I see Mimi's eyes bulge in my peripheral vision and Maddy's mouth drop open, while James and Fred tried to swallow their laughs. "How are you!? How's school?"

She sweeps me into a hug and I am overwhelmed by the beautiful scent of her lovely French perfume. I tap her on the back, "Good, all done."

She pulls back and I give her a tight lipped smile, she looks surprised, "Oh, I thought muggles had to go to school longer than us."

I feel my chest tighten and my hands shake slightly. She always did that. Make it so incredibly obvious that I was different, and although my mum thinks I am just making it up, she always makes me sound like I am inferior. Like just now. I am not a muggle, I am a squib, there _is_ actually a difference. Muggles may go to school longer but not because they are somehow slower or less intelligent, which her tone clearly infers. And then the cherry on the cake is the ' _us',_ at the end of her sentence. It is as if to remind me that I am not one of them. I am a thing apart.

"Nope, just one more year. And I am eighteen." I force a smile on my face, because Gran is standing there smiling fondly on us. Ugh. I cross my arms.

"Oh," Victorie waves a hand at me, "You will always be eight years old to me," She says breathily.

The year I found out I was a squib. Of _course_. I notice Teddy standing behind her pinching the bridge of his nose, which could mean he hears what she is saying as well and it isn't in my head, it isn't my insecurities acting up. She actually is like this.

"Molly, sorry to interrupt," I turn and look at Mimi, "I need to phone my mum, can you show me how to use the phone in our tent." I could literally kiss Mimi right on the lips at this moment in time.

"I'll come too." Maddy says instantly on my other side.

"Hey!" James moans.

Maddy smiles at him, "You'll survive." She grabs my arm and starts to steer me with Mimi's help back to our tent.

"Oh, I want to come too!" Fred says jovially jumping into step with us.

"Come on then James, let's get you fixed up then," Gran steered James to the house. Victorie turned back to Teddy smiling brightly. She grabs his arms and steers him off to the rest of the family.

"I can't believe her, she is a nightmare!" Maddy whispered in my ear. Mimi nodded vigorously.

I glance over my shoulder, Teddy is being steered towards Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur who just noticed Victorie.

"Yeah, Victorie has always been her own keeper." I mumble.

"By that you mean a super bitch?" Fred adds brightly. Maddy laughs and says something but I don't notice.

I don't notice because at that moment Teddy looks back over his shoulder and sees me looking at him. For a moment I go to flip my head back around, embarrassed he caught me looking at them, but instead I meet his eyes and he mouths the word, ' _Sorry'_.


	21. Discussions between Cousins

_Chapter_ _Twenty: Discussions between Cousins_

 _MOLLY_

The rest of the day goes by in a bit of a blur. I want to hide out in the tent mostly and Mimi and Maddy seem to understand that without me needing to actually say anything. _That_ is why they are my best friends.

So when James reappears totally healed, asking what we should do, Maddy asks if there is something we can do in the tent and maybe just chill, and he instantly runs to get a wizard chess set.

I am sitting curled up on one of the arm chairs watching Fred and Maddy try to teach Mimi chess, let alone wizards chess. I feel eyes on me and look up to see James sitting watching me closely.

I glare at him and he just smiles, his calm casual smile, "Hey Mol," Ugh why must he call me that, "Wanna help me grab some butter beers, Fred and I have some in our tent."

Maddy looked up at James and then me, "Do you need another set of hands?"

Just as I am about to suggest she just help him and I will stay where I am, James responds for me, "No, you stay, help Fred. Keep him from ripping out his own hair." Mimi shoots him a glare, James just chuckles, stands and walks by me, hitting my foot hanging from the arm of the chair, "Come on _cuz_ ,".

Maddy looks at me with a questioning look and I just roll my eyes. I slowly get up and follow James outside of the tent, "Isn't there a spell you can use to do this with-argh!" I jump back at James who is just standing outside the tent with his arms crossed staring at me intensely, "God James, what?!" I snap, trying to slow my heart rate.

"I want you to tell me everything Maddy has said about me, and I will tell you everything Teddy has asked about you."

 **JAMES**

I watch Molly ride her emotions as my words sink in. First, confusion, then fear, then embarrassment, finally anger, "Maddy told you I like Teddy?!"

I smile satisfied, "No," I shake my head, "But you just did."

Her eyes bulge and she clamps her mouth shut, her glasses falling down her nose. I shake my head, "Come on," I decide to walk to the tent to get the butter beer so we have a chance to talk. "Besides," I add casually, as Molly falls into step with me, curiosity getting the better of her, "It wasn't that hard to figure out, I mean the look on your face when Victorie showed up, looked like you didn't know whether to run or vomit." I chuckle.

She looks at me stricken, "Oh my god, is it that obvious? Does everyone know?"

I shake my head, putting my hands in my pockets. "No, no clue. I am just very attuned to the human experience."

She looks at me, raising an eyebrow, "Really?" She crosses her arms.

"Yes." I smile smugly. We get to our tent and I hold the flap open, Molly looks at me for a second before walking in. "Now dish, what did Maddy say about me."

Molly shakes her head, her long red hair flowing from her pony tail. I have never noticed it before but Molly is probably the cousin who looks the most like our Lily of everyone. I guess Uncle Percy and mum are very similar, I have just never really thought about it before; they are such entirely different people, it's odd they should look so alike. I realize I don't know Molly well enough to know if she is like Lily or not. Right now she looks very Lily-esque however, and even sounds like my little sister when she says, "Oh no, I am not saying anything until you give me what you know."

I hold up my hand, "This is going on me trusting you to not pull any of that, she's my bestie and I can't tell you anything shit." I hold my hand out and she takes it, shaking it rather harder than I anticipated. She is tall only about three inches shorter than my six foot two.

"Ok, so…." I lead her into my room which is somewhat of a cash of contraband. I pick up the pack of Elvish cigarello's from the bedside table and put them in my pocket.

"God James, it's a disaster in here!" She snaps. And there is the Uncle Percy influence, front and centre.

I glare at her over my shoulder, "Do you want to hear what I have to say or not?"

She purses her lips and sits on my bed looking at me expectantly , "Go on," She prompts, petting Jonesie, my fat old cat who was sleeping at the end of the bed.

"Ok so, we get back to the tent last night and pretty much I knew something was up, what with the kiss on the forehead thing." I point at my own forehead and look at Molly. She blushes a deep red and suddenly seems like she has no idea where to look. Interesting…. so that had caught her off guard as well. I had thought for a second maybe something more was going on between Teddy and Molly but I guess not. Good girl Molly. "But as soon as we are in the tent he is asking all these questions right, like when did you guys get here? How have you been? What have you been up to? Do you know what you wanna do now your done school?"

She shrugs, looking sceptical, "Well, we haven't seen each other in three years, he is probably just being politely curious, doesn't prove anything."

"He asked if you had a boyfriend." My ace in the hole. Her eyes snap up to mine.

"No he didn't," She says.

"Uh pretty sure he did." I say, this gossiping thing was hard work. God.

"In front of Louis?" She counters.

I shake my head, "Naw, Louis was in his room writing in his diary or something, " I roll my eyes but Molly looks too tense to laugh. She looks like she is wound up tighter than a spring, hanging on my every word, "So Fred, oblivious as always, goes ahead and starts telling him about Longbottom."

"Frank!?" Molly looks aghast, "Why would Fred bring up Frank to Teddy?"

I shrug feeling the terror and fury in her words, god women are crazy. "I don't know, because he is an idiot, and probably because Frank is the only one of your boyfriends we've met."

" _One_ of my boyfriends?" Molly prompts looking at me.

"I don't know what you get up to at your school, none of my business," I shrug innocently.

Molly glares, "It's an all girls school, "

"Ooh," I pretend to shiver from excitement.

She rolls her eyes, "Not that it is any of your business but Frank is the _only_ boyfriend I have ever had." She blushes a little when she says that but I nod. Thought so.

I smile at her and grab two six packs of butter beer from under my bed. I have to hide them or Albus or Hugo will be in here taking them no question. "Anyway, so Fred says you were dating Frank Longbottom for like four years…"

"It was two years." She corrects.

"Whatever," I stand and crack my back, "Teddy seemed really interested in what happened, so when Fred said you broke up last year before your term started, he asked why, Fred shrugs. Makes some idiot comment about you guys almost being in-laws and then got all awkward and emotional."

Molly looks at me, distracted from Teddy for a moment, "Why would he get all awkward and emotional, I thought he and Alice parted on good terms?"

I look at Molly. Shit. Put my foot in my mouth there, I shrug trying to look casual, "I don't know. It's Fred, very funny fellow. So anyway today Teddy asked me if your friends were coming to watch us play. It was obvious he really wanted to know if you were going to come."

Molly looks like she is miles away, "Really," She lets the word out on a breath, barely more than a whisper.

I walk up to her and hand her a six pack of butter beers. "He seems very interested in you and what you are up to for someone who's girlfriend just arrived."

She stands up clutching the butter beers looking younger than her eighteen years, sometimes it is strange to think of her as older than me, "What do you think it means?" She asks looking at me, eyes huge. I realize that (for a cousin) Molly actually is a really good looking girl. Like able to compete with Victorie on an almost even playing field, (how can you quantify veela charm?) I take her in. She had big brown eyes unlike most of us with our greens and blue. Her hair is that real rich red like my mum and sister, not the orange of Uncle Charlie or Uncle Ron. Her face is a warm heart shape, and she always looks like she cares, like she is really listening. Whatever happens I hope Teddy doesn't mess her up too much. She deserves to be happy, everything being what it is.

I shrug, "I don't know Molly, that is your girlfriends department. I am just telling you what he said and what I think, you can interpret the intricacies of his behaviour with your friends. Now its your turn," I point at her, "Dish."

She smiles, "Well-"

We are interrupted when we hear someone entering the main part of the tent. We both freeze.o

"You come here to me." Molly tenses as she hears Victorie's silky, flirting voice and looks like she would rather be thrown to an angry Hippogriff than hear what might possibly be taking place outside my room right now.

I seriously consider just grabbing her and apparating the hell out of there. I mean I wouldn't want to hear someone I fancy have sex with their long time partner if I could avoid it. But I hesitate when I hear Teddy say: "I am not in the mood, Victorie." Teddy's voice is sharp. I look at Molly and her eyes dart up to mine, the size of dinner plates.

"What? What's wrong my love?" Victorie asks in her sing song voice. Ugh I hate that voice. That annoying whimpering one she uses half the time. I don't know why she does that and doesn't just talk normally. I think she uses it to manipulate people, men mostly, but honestly I can't help but feel it is more irritating than anything else. But it wasn't as bad as when she came home from her year abroad with a thicker French accent then her mother. Ugh.

"What's wrong? I have barely heard from you in the past six months! A letter here, a letter there. And then you show up and just want to jump on me? Sorry if I can't oblige."

"Well," She sounds annoyed, "It isn't my fault you decided to leave the country during my final year. This is the hardest, most time consuming part of my apprenticeship, I am sorry if I wasn't writing you every other day like before."

"So you were punishing me? You know I have to travel to study the dragons. I never lied about that. But now your are doing _your_ thing it isn't as important to keep in touch with me, your boyfriend?"

"You are sounding very childish, right now Teddy." Victorie scolded.

"I have been away from home for a year Victorie, and you couldn't be bothered to be here on my first night home." Teddy voice sounds cold.

"I told you teddy bear," Molly and I both look at each other as soon as Victorie says the secret pet name. Molly covers her mouth with her hand and I go ahead and bite my whole fist to keep from laughing out loud. "I had to work, I need to put in the hours that are asked of me, and I am here now. Earlier than I thought. So everything is fine now. Besides I am not the one leaving again at the end of the summer, am I?"

We hear Teddy pace around the living room of the tent, "Do you not like what I do, are you mad at me for doing something I love?"

"I don't like the fact that my perfect boyfriend seems to have a new ugly scar every time he comes home. Or the fact that all your letters sound more like bored journal entries than love letters. I don't see why you can't get a job here in England, and stay with me. Daddy said he could get you a position at Gringotts no problem, all you have to do is ask."

Teddy stops his pacing, "You asked your father to give me a job?" He sounds furious. Something that doesn't often happen to Teddy.

"Well, what am I supposed to do Teddy? I am twenty two years old, you're twenty five. We need to start settling down and I think, and my mother agrees, it's time you stopped this galavanting and got a good job here at home. I mean you've had enough adventure, don't you think?"

"I can't believe this," Teddy said, it almost sounds like there is a touch of hysterical laughter in his voice. "I can't do this now, not right now," We can hear Teddy walk out of the tent.

"Teddy! Teddy wait!" Victorie follows him out.

Molly looks at the flap that is my door and then at me, "Wow," She says raising her eyebrows.

I smile at her, "Things may come together easier than you think," I smile and walk out of my room and into the main tent, I pull a cigarillo out and light up. Molly is watching me and I offer her the pack, but I am very surprised when she goes ahead and takes one. She leans forward and lights it off the flame at the end of my wand.

She takes a deep drag and doesn't even cough as she exhales the light green smoke. There really is more to Molly than meets the eye. She looks at me, "James,"

"Yeah," I light mine and we both look at each other.

"You know I wouldn't try and like, ruin things between Teddy and Victorie right? Not intentionally." I look at Molly and nod.

"Oh I know, you aren't nearly btichy enough to pull off something like that m'dear." I nod my head towards the door, "Come on,"

She hesitates, "And you won't tell him that I like him will you?" She looks positively freaked out at the prospect of having to trust me, which I understand. When I nine and she was ten I fed her like three puking pasties telling her they were peppermints. One of many brilliant pranks.

I nod, "I promise," I shift on my foot and look at her, "How long have you fancied him? You haven't seen him in like three years right?" I think about it for a second, "Oh god did you like Teddy when you were with Frank?" I can't help but think about poor old Frank.

Frank Longbottom was two years older than me. His dad, Neville, is one of my parents oldest, closest friends, who also happened to be my old Herbology teacher as well as Head of Gryffindor house. Anyway then there was Frank. He was in Gryffindoor two years ahead of me and was this all around amazing bloke. I mean he was really good in all subjects…. except potions, always struggled with that, anyway he was on the Quidditch team with Fred and I, Captain actually and the best keeper we had in Gryffindor since we had Uncle Ron. Frank was a Prefect and Head Boy in his seventh year...and he was pretty much perfect. He and Molly dated for so long it became, oh yes Molly and Frank, Frank and Molly. Then out of the blue, we find out that it's over. I saw Frank last year after it happened, he didn't give details, just said it was time they went their separate ways. I was pretty shocked, but not as bad as Fred. That was right when he was going through everything with Frank's younger sister, Alice…..

She blushes a deep red, "Well, no, I mean I liked Teddy before I started dating Frank, and I like him now. So I guess… I don't know when I was with Frank I never really though about it. I mean Teddy has always been with Victorie and when Frank and I started up I hadn't seen Teddy in over a year." She shrugs, "I don't know, I don't know when it started, I wish I did because then maybe I could make it stop. It woould make my life so much easier."

I look at her raising an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Of course," She says as if it is the most obvious thing in the world. "It's awful, having him there lurking in my mind all the time. I mean he's been with one of my cousins for the past five years, is practically one of the family himself. And I mean come on, he's Teddy," She says, her eyes seeming to say that that is all there really is to say, "Head boy, Captain of the Quidditch team, Dragon researcher, all around amazing guy, _Teddy_. And who am I? Molly, the eighteen year old squib,"

I look at her, arguing over her negative tone on the word squib seems a bit rich for me to do, since while growing up I never stopped reminding her that she was one, but I look at her and just the way she said it, like that was all she could every be..to anyone let alone Teddy, it made me sad. Geez I guess I am maturing, here I didn't believe mum when she said it would happen...eventually. "Molly, you aren't just that." I say awkwardly, I roll my eyes, "Trust me Teddy doesn't think of you as just that."

"Right," She does not sound convinced but Molly falls into step beside me and we walk out of the tent, "Ok so, as per our agreement." I notice her change in topic but I don't argue because a.) I hate pep talks, I am not good at them in the least and become more awkward the more honest and real someone gets and b.) I really want to know what she had to say, "I guess I am happy to report that Maddy seems _extremely_ interested in you."

I glance at Molly out of the corner of my eye. "Really?"

She nods, "Haven't a clue why," She teases and I cheerfully shove her, feeling myself walking a little straighter. Suddenly Molly puts a hand on my arm and stops me about ten feet from the tent, "Honestly James?" I hesitate before nodding, unsure of what she is leading to but I feel confident no matter what she says about Maddy, I am willing to figure it out. "If you want it, the shot is there for you to take. Maddy is more than willing." I smile but Molly keeps talking, "And your my cousin and I love you, but Maddy…. Maddy has never had a real boyfriend before and her home life is… complicated." I raise an eyebrow, Molly just shakes her head, "I am sure she will tell you when she is ready. Anyway, she has had enough disappointment and abandonment when it comes to men. Don't be another person on that list. Trust me, if you aren't ready to deal with her stuff then don't bother. Because trust me when I say, you will fall in love with her. Maddy's amazing, and even despite everything between us," Molly indicated her and I, "I think you could be a great pair, I certainly have never seen her get on with anyone as well as she hit it off with you. But if you aren't sure you see something real there, not just a summer fling. Don't go there. It would be better for both of you."

I stare at Molly. She looks like she expects me to answer her...well she has another bloody thing coming, if she thinks I am just gonna lay my inner most thoughts and feelings at her feet. But I do appreciate the sincerity of her words. Honestly I didn't think I meant that much to her. Now I see how much Madeline means to her as well. So I decided to nod, "Ok, ok Molly."

She smiles, satisfied, "Ok James." She nudges my arm with her elbow, "Come on, Maddy is probably scared I am telling you about all the horrible things she does at school."

"She does horrible things at school? My god ... she's my soul mate." I say grinning.

We walk into the tent and see Fred and Mimi on the ground in front of the fire playing wizards chess, Maddy on the settee watching them. She looks up at our arrival. "Well that took long enough,"

I walk over and sit down beside her handing her a bottle of butter beer before sitting back with my own and putting an arm around her shoulders and letting it drape off her shoulder, "Sorry we got caught up at the tent. Teddy and Victorie drama." I raise my eyebrows a few times at Maddy to get my point across.

Her face lights up with surprise, "Really?" She quickly looks at Molly. She really isn't the most subtle, good thing I already know about Molly's crush otherwise the cat would be out of the bag.

"Ugh," Fred says not looking up from the board, "Roxy thinks their days are numbered."

Mimi looks at Fred, "Really?" She asks.

"Yeah, but Victorie isn't Roxy's favourite cousin, so no love lost there. Check."

Molly sits beside the board. "I'll take winner," She says brightly.


End file.
